


Falling Slowly

by tethrasing



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 13:12:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 32,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14895243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tethrasing/pseuds/tethrasing
Summary: Aloth works at Caed Nua Coffee and one night after closing, he runs into a bit of trouble. A mysterious stranger helps him out of it and he expects to never see her again. But the next day, she walks into the coffee shop.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.

**Sunday September 2 nd, 2018**

 

Aloth watched Edér check his phone for the fifth time in as many minutes as Aloth turned the open signed to closed. “Something wrong?” he asked.

 

Edér met Aloth’s eyes sheepishly. “Nah, it’s just…well, I promised Pallegina I’d pick her up from her shift at the hospital. But I ain’t leavin’ you to close up by yourself. Not after what happened last time,” he said as he lifted chairs up onto tables.

 

Aloth shook his head fondly. “That was months ago, Edér. You don’t need to stay with me.”

 

“You sure?” Edér asked, looking uncertainly at the time on his phone, “You know how rowdy those folks down the street at The Wild Mare can get.”

 

“Yes, I’m quite certain,” Aloth said, “and it wouldn’t be wise to leave Pallegina waiting after she just worked an 18 hour shift.”

 

Edér’s eyes grew wide. “When you put it that way…”

 

Edér closed the distance between the two of them and clapped Aloth on the arm. “Thanks, I owe you one,” he said, smiling briefly before heading out the employee exit.

 

Aloth liked working with Edér, but he also liked how quiet Caed Nua Coffee got at night. The place had an almost ghostly feel to it when it was just him. Well, it never really was just him. Iselmyr was always at the edges of his mind. Despite her presence, he enjoyed the quiet routine of cleaning up the shop by himself.

 

The CNC was a local coffee shop in Defiance Bay. It was the kind of coffee shop with artwork by local artists on the walls, large windows letting in sunlight during the day, and cozy armchairs by the fireplace. Not that anyone had been using the fireplace lately; it was early September and classes had just started at the nearby Defiance Bay University. They had seen an influx of new customers as new and returning students came into the city.

 

It took a little longer to clean up than usual since it was just him and it was nearly 11:30 by the time he locked the back door. Aloth took his long, black hair out of the ponytail he wore it in for work and let it hang loose.

 

Aloth made his way down the alley and out to the main street. He followed his usual path; it took him a little out of his way, but it was worth it to avoid the drunk patrons of the bar down the street from Caed Nua Coffee.

 

He was halfway down the block when he felt a buzzing in his pocket. He took out his phone and was about to look at the notification when a large body slammed into him. Aloth went tumbling to the ground, dropping his phone. He landed hard on his right elbow and pain radiated out through his arm.

 

“Oi, what do ye think yer doin? Watch where yer fuckin goin’!” Iselmyr spat out.

 

_No, no, no,_ he thought, _please, not now._

“What the fuck did you say?” came a loud, slurred voice from somewhere above Aloth.

 

Aloth scrambled to his feet, snatching up his phone and putting some distance between himself and the voice. Taking stock, Aloth realized he ran into man who stood a good head taller than him. There was a cool breeze, but the man seemed not to feel it even though he wore nothing but jeans and a stained wife beater. He reeked of booze and Aloth assumed he was on his way to The Wild Mare.

 

“Ah, nothing. You must have misheard me. I’m terribly sorry for running into you. I’ll just be-“ Aloth said as he slowly moved backwards.

 

The large man loomed closer to him. “I know what I heard,” he growled. He looked Aloth up and down before he said, “Are you fuckin’ Aedyran? I don’t take no shit from Aedyran douchbags.”

 

“Fye, go fuck yer sister, ye coxfither!” Iselmyr shouted before Aloth could respond.

 

_No, no._ Aloth could feel himself begin to retreat into himself, just as he had on the day of his Awakening. However, just then, he heard a loud snort to his left. Aloth shifted his focus and saw a young woman eyeing him with curiosity and…perhaps pity. She had long, black hair that ended at her waist. She had tan skin and brown eyes. Her large nose and full lips fit her oval face perfectly. Aloth could hear Iselmyr wolf whistle in his mind and he desperately tried not to blush.

 

The woman turned to look at the drunk man and said, “Hey, man, this isn’t worth your time. Why don’t you head back into The Wild Mare and get another drink, hm?”

 

The man glared at her. “You defending him?”

 

The woman glared back. “Yeah, I am. Now I’m telling you, this’ll be a lot easier if you just walk away.”

 

“Don’t threaten me, bitch!” the man yelled, stepping towards Aloth and the woman as he drew his fist back.

 

Aloth stepped forward to place himself in-between them when, suddenly, the man froze. Aloth’s eyebrows shot up as he watched as the man stood perfectly still, as if he were carved out of marble.

 

“You’re going to go back to The Wild Mare and have another drink. Got it?” the mysterious woman said. She had a look of intense concentration on her face.

 

The man suddenly relaxed and looked at Aloth. He spat on the ground, “Hmph, not worth my time, anyway.”

 

The man walked past Aloth in the direction of the bar. Aloth let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He turned to the woman who was wiping a bead of blood from underneath her nose.

 

“I…thank you,” he said, his brows knit together. He had a hunch as to how she had accomplished such a feat, but having a secret of his own, he knew when to keep his questions to himself.

 

She flashed him a smile and he noticed she had adorable dimples. “No problem, seemed like you could use the help,” she replied, “I gotta ask though…why’d you tell him to go fuck his sister?”

 

Aloth felt the color drain from his face. The woman was still smiling and didn’t seem to notice his discomfort.

 

“You must have misheard me. I didn’t say that,” Aloth said, smoothing his shirt down.

 

Her breath came out in a huff. “Um, I definitely heard you tell him to fuck his sister. It was really funny. Dumb, but funny.”

 

Aloth thought for a moment, then changed tactics, “Perhaps you could answer something for me. How did you manage to suddenly change the man’s mind?”

 

Aloth regretted his words instantly. The smile vanished from her face and she suddenly looked serious. “Okay,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “how about this: I won’t ask about your…weird shit, you don’t tell anyone about what I did. Deal?”

 

Aloth nodded.

 

“Good,” she said, more at ease, “Are you gonna be okay wherever you’re going? I could…walk with you? That probably sounds creepy, a total stranger offering to walk with you-“

 

“I’ll be fine. I live nearby,” Aloth assured her. She gave him a small smile and he smiled back. “Thank you again, for your help.”

 

“No problem, always happy to help a cute stranger in need,” she replied easily.

 

Aloth was certain he was blushing, but he didn’t have to worry about the woman seeing as she had already turned to cross the street. His eyes followed her dumbly as she walked away until she turned a corner and he couldn’t see her anymore. Finally, he remembered he needed to check his phone. The buzzing had been a text from Edér: **_text me when you get home so I know you made it ok._** It was followed by several dog and cat emojis. Aloth smiled fondly as he made his way to his apartment.

 

He tried to ignore Iselmyr when she said in his head, _Ye should have asked the cute lass fer her name at least! Better yet her number._ He heard her sigh. _Aye, a woman like that is rare, indeed._

When he got into bed that night, Aloth couldn’t help but regret that he probably would never see the mysterious woman again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Aloth was working with Xoti. His arm still ached where he’d fallen on it last night, but he was thankful he didn’t have worse.

 

He was on the register while she made the drinks. The morning rush was over and there were just a few regulars sitting at their usual tables. It was quiet in the shop, just the way he liked it. He looked up as the door opened and his breath caught in his throat. It was the woman from last night. She hadn’t seen him yet; she was laughing at something on her phone.

 

“Hey, Aloth, I can take over the register if you want,” Xoti chirped from behind him.

 

Aloth’s hands gripped the register.

 

“Ah, thank you, Xoti, but I’ll stay here for now,” he said, anxiously glancing at the woman as she continued approaching the counter.

 

Xoti frowned at him. Everyone at Caed Nua Coffee knew Aloth greatly preferred making drinks to working the register. Then she followed his eyes to look at the woman and a look of understanding came over her face. “Oh, I see,” she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

 

Aloth rolled his eyes at her. Xoti cackled and went back to the other end of the counter.

 

Finally, the woman reached the counter and put her phone down. She looked up at Aloth and her eyes widened. “Holy shit,” she breathed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Monday September 3 rd, 2018**

 

“Um, I mean…hey,” the woman said, eyes darting to his name tag, “Aloth. Never thought I’d see you again.”

 

Aloth cleared his throat. “Likewise. It seems you have me at a disadvantage,” he replied.

 

“Oh! My name! It’s Brianna,” she said, looking slightly embarrassed. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I take it you made it home okay last night? No more run-ins with angry drunks?”

 

“Yes, I made it home fine,” Aloth chuckled. He silently thanked whatever god was listening that no one else was lining up for coffee at the moment. He could feel Xoti’s eyes burning holes into the back of his skull, but he ignored her for the moment. Iselmyr’s excitement, however, was harder to ignore.

 

Brianna looked at her phone. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got a class in 20 minutes…”

 

“Oh, of course, what can I get for you?” Aloth asked.

 

“Medium iced vanilla latte, please,” she said.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Aloth saw Xoti start making the drink before he put it in the register.

 

While Brianna was paying with her credit card, Aloth asked, “Do you go to Defiance Bay University?”

 

“Yep, just transferred from Readceras University. Sociology Major. Are you a student?”

 

“No, I graduated two years ago,” Aloth answered.

 

The card machine started beeping and Brianna took her card out.

 

“Your drink will be right up,” Aloth said.

 

“Thanks, Aloth,” Brianna beamed. She walked to the end of the counter and Aloth took a deep breath. He tried to mentally prepare himself for the conversation he knew he was about to have with Xoti. _Her name is Brianna_ , he thought.

 

“Brianna!” Xoti called at the end of the bar.

 

Brianna waved to him over her shoulder as she moved by him on her way to the door. Aloth waved back and watched as she walked out the door.

 

Xoti latched onto Aloth’s arm.

 

“Who was that?!” she questioned, face lit up.

 

Remembering the agreement he made with Brianna last night, Aloth chose his words carefully. “I…met her last night. I ran into a mean drunk on the way home and she helped me avoid getting on his bad side.”

 

Xoti let out a disgruntled noise and crossed her arms. “It’s just like you to meet a cute lady and keep all the details to yourself! Come on, tell me what happened!”

 

Aloth was saved from making an excuse by several customers coming to the register at that moment. The two were too busy to talk for several hours.

 

Around noon, at the end of Xoti’s shift, Edér and Maia came in the front door.

 

Xoti bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, her curly brown hair bouncing on her shoulders. “Hey, babe! I’ll be right there!” Before Maia could respond, Xoti had darted into the back room.

 

The aumaua chuckled as she and Edér approached Aloth at the register. They all greeted each other and Edér ducked behind the counter to start his shift.

 

“How was practice today, Maia?” Aloth asked.

 

“Same old, same old,” she replied, a weariness in her voice, “I’m Olympics ready, but I keep getting gentle reminders from the homeland representative that they just can’t go one without me.”

 

Aloth nodded sympathetically. Maia was a marksman, one of the best in the world. She had served in the military back in Rauatai for several years. It wasn’t a time in her life she liked to talk about. These days, she preferred to shoot at nonliving targets.

 

Xoti nestled into Maia’s side and gave her a peck on the cheek.

 

“You ready to go, honey?” Maia asked, sliding her arm around Xoti’s waist.

 

“Not yet, Aloth and I have unfinished business,” she said as her eyes honed in on Aloth.

 

Aloth sighed deeply.

 

“Edér!” He turned at the sound of his name. “Did Aloth tell you what happened to him last night?”

 

“Xoti, please-“ Aloth started.

 

Edér quickly walked over to Aloth. “No, he didn’t,” Edér said, brow furrowed, “you told me you got home fine. What happened?”

 

Aloth sighed again. “I ran into a bit of trouble, but-“

 

“But a _gorgeous woman_ saved him!” Xoti interjected.

 

Aloth told Maia, Edér, and Xoti a modified version of last night’s events. He told them Brianna gave the drunk man enough money for another beer to convince him to leave and they seemed to buy it. Aloth didn’t enjoy lying to his friends, but he knew what it was like to have a life-threatening secret.

 

“And THEN, guess what happened, Edér!” Xoti said, not giving him time to speak. “Brianna came into the shop! Right here! It was fate.” Xoti sighed dreamily.

 

“Is she a student? I can ask Kana to keep an eye out for her,” Maia said, smirking. Aloth thought she was enjoying this a little too much.

 

“Yes, she is, but I doubt she’ll be in any of Kana’s classes. She’s a sociology major,” he replied, “Now if you don’t mind, Edér and I have actual work to do here.”

 

Maia and Xoti laughed and said their goodbyes.

 

“Maybe I’ll run into her on campus!” Xoti exclaimed to Maia as they walked out the door.

 

During the next lull in customers, Edér approached Aloth.

 

“Hey, Aloth, I’m real sorry you ran into trouble last night. I shoulda walked you home like I normally do-“ he said, rubbing his beard.

 

“It’s not your fault, Edér. Besides, I told you to leave, remember? Everything turned out fine, anyway,” Aloth reassured him.

 

Edér smirked, “Yeah, sounds like things worked out _just_ fine.”

 

Aloth pursed his lips as Edér walked away. It was worth the teasing from his friends, he reasoned. _Yes_ , he thought, _it was definitely worth it to meet Brianna_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Monday September 3 rd, 2018**

 

Brianna walked briskly into her morning class, glancing at the clock. She still had five minutes until class started. She slowed, looking around for Tekéhu. She found him sitting in the third row of the lecture hall and walked to sit next to him. Putting her coffee down on the desk and setting her backpack down on the ground, she got out her laptop.

 

“Good morning, Brianna,” Tekéhu said cheerfully.

 

“Morning, Tekéhu,” Brianna said. She had known Tekéhu for years, but still was surprised by how much of a morning person he was.

 

Tekéhu paused for a moment and then continued, “Ekera, but it seems you had a _particularly_ good morning.”

 

“What?” Brianna asked, turning her full attention to Tekéhu. She _had_ been pleasantly surprised to see Aloth again after last night, but there was no way Tekéhu could know about that…

 

He pointed to her half empty coffee cup. She looked at it and felt the heat rise in her face. In her haste to get to class, she hadn’t noticed that there was a phone number scrawled on the cup. _Did Aloth…? No, doesn’t seem like something he would do._ It read, “Aloth’s number,” followed by what Brianna assumed was Aloth’s phone number. The other barista had probably written it. Brianna couldn’t help the pleased smile that formed on her face.

 

“Are you going to text them?” Tekéhu asked.

 

Brianna froze. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.

 

“Oh, gods,” she said, looking between her coffee cup and her phone, “I mean…I want to, but I don’t even know what I would say…”

 

Tekéhu placed a reassuring hand on Brianna’s shoulder. “Just be yourself. They will like you, I’m sure of it,” he said with a smile.

 

Class was about to start, so Brianna quickly typed out a text to Aloth: **_hey this is brianna, i think your coworker gave me ur number, hope it’s ok that im texting you._**

****

She tossed her phone into her backpack and tried to pay attention to the lecture, but her mind kept wandering to Aloth.

 

-

 

“You sure I can’t convince you to adopt a cat? You seem like a cat guy to me,” Edér said, eyes on the road.

 

Aloth gave a fond, but long-suffering sigh. Edér and Aloth were driving to the Naasitaq Humane Society. Edér spent a lot of his free time there. His therapist had recommended he adopt an emotional support dog to help with his PTSD. Of course, one dog turned into two dogs and three cats. Now, Edér volunteered at the humane society frequently.

 

“I don’t think so, Edér. I enjoy volunteering with you, but animals are so…messy,” Aloth replied, wrinkling his nose.

 

Aloth realized he hadn’t checked his phone since his shift at the CNC ended. He took his phone out of his pocket and saw a text from a number he didn’t recognize: **_hey this is brianna, i think your coworker gave me ur number, hope it’s ok that im texting you._**

****

Aloth nearly dropped his phone. He was torn between cursing and thanking Xoti. _Thanking the lass, more like_ , Iselmyr offered. He thought for a moment before replying: **_That would be Xoti._** **_It’s good to hear from you, my friends have been asking about you since you came into the café this morning._**

****

He looked at the text for several seconds before hitting the send button. He keenly felt the anxiety at this new social interaction, but he couldn’t deny the warm feeling in his gut.

 

A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot at Naasitaq Humane Society. When they walked in, they were greeted by the muffled sounds of dogs barking.

 

“Hey, fellas!” came a cheerful greeting. A middle-aged dwarf woman waved at them from the desk.

 

“Hey, Sagani!” Edér called back as the two approached her.

 

Sagani checked a piece of paper on a clipboard in front of her. “Alright, today I’ve got Edér with the dogs and Aloth with the cats.”

 

“You know us too well,” Aloth said. Sagani rewarded him with a smile and a wink. “Is Cosmo still here?”

 

“Yeah, he’s still here. You know, Aloth, _you_ could always adopt him,” Sagani said, looking at him pointedly.

 

Cosmo was an 11-year-old black cat who had been with the humane society for several months. Black cats were frequent residents of the shelter and it was harder for older cats to get adopted, so Aloth had a soft spot for Cosmo. He had seriously considered adopting him, but there was something that held him back.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Aloth promised.

 

Aloth and Edér made their way into the back of the shelter. Edér went left to the side with the dogs and Aloth went right to the cats. Before getting to work, he opened Cosmo’s cage to let him stretch his legs.

 

“Hello, Cosmo,” he greeted the cat.

 

Cosmo meowed at him, trotting forward to rub up against Aloth’s legs.

 

“Yes, I know,” Aloth said, reaching down to give the cat a treat. He rubbed Cosmo’s head as the cat chewed the treat happily. Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. He fished his phone out of his pocket. He had a new text from Brianna: **_oh nooo I hope they haven’t been giving you too much trouble. if it makes you feel any better, my friend was teasing me about the number on my coffee cup._**

 

Aloth smiled as Cosmo continued to rub against his legs. He typed out a text to Brianna: **_This is out of the blue, but do you have any interest in adopting a cat?_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Saturday September 15 th, 2018**

 

Brianna checked her phone. Again. She had been waiting on a park bench in Dyrford Crossing for 15 minutes and the guy that was supposed to meet her there was late. She sent Aloth a text telling him she would be late, knowing he wouldn’t see it until his shift ended.

 

“Brianna?” a voice from behind her said.

 

She nearly jumped out of her skin. Instead, she leapt up off the bench and spun around. Behind the bench stood a hearth orlan with a shock of red hair and an eyepatch over his right eye. He matched the description Tekéhu had given her.

 

“Hiravias?” she asked tentatively.

 

“At your service! Here, let’s walk. Less likely someone will overhear us,” Hiravias said. The pair started walking down the park path. There was something about the orlan that put Brianna at ease _. Maybe this is why he’s such a successful journalist_ , she thought.

 

“So,” Hiravias continued, “Tekéhu didn’t give me a lot of details, just enough to get me interested. I was hoping you could fill me in.”

 

Brianna took a deep breath. “I don’t know much, but I’m looking for information on a group calling themselves The Leaden Key.”

 

Hiravias glanced at Brianna. “The Leaden Key…can’t say I’ve ever heard of them. Anything else you can tell me?”

 

Brianna paused for a moment. She hadn’t been lying, there wasn’t much she knew about The Leaden Key, but she worried about telling Hiravias the little she did know. She didn’t want to put anyone in danger…but the truth was, she couldn’t do this alone.

 

“I first ran into them in Readceras. I traced their movements here, but the trail went cold. I know they’re interested in luminous adra, but I don’t know why. They don’t seem to be trying to profit off of it like everyone else,” Brianna told him.

 

Hiravias made a thoughtful noise. “Sounds interesting. And I do love a challenge,” he grinned, “I’ll see what I can dig up and I’ll get back to you soon.”

 

Brianna could feel some of the tension leave her body.

 

“Thank you, Hiravias. How much do I owe you?” she asked.

 

He put his hands up, “You owe me nothing. A friend of Tekéhu’s is a friend of mine,” he said with a wink.

 

Brianna felt the heat rise in her face. “Oh, no, we’re not…um, we’re not _friends,_ like that. We’re really just friends,” she clarified.

 

“I see, my mistake,” Hiravias said, “the agreement still stands.”

 

“Thank you,” Brianna replied gratefully, “If there’s nothing else, I need to go see a man about a cat.”

 

-

 

When Brianna rushed through the doors of the Naasitaq Humane Society, she almost ran right into Aloth. She had her long hair up in a ponytail today and Aloth was momentarily stunned by this new look. _Aye, the lass looks well fit. Ye should tell her so,_ Iselmyr thought. Aloth ignored Iselmyr’s comment, but couldn’t ignore how lovely Brianna looked.

 

“Oh, Aloth!,” she breathed, “I’m so sorry I’m late, I was doing something and it took a little longer than I expected.”

 

Aloth pulled himself together and replied, “It’s no trouble, Brianna. If you’ll follow me, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

 

Aloth put his hands in his jacket pockets to keep from fidgeting as he led Brianna to the desk where Sagani was waiting. He introduced the two, explaining that Sagani was the CEO of the Naasitaq Humane Society.

 

“So you’re interested in adopting Cosmo, huh? We’re all invested in Cosmo finding a good home, so when Aloth said he found someone that would be perfect for him, that was music to our ears,” Sagani told Brianna.

 

Aloth felt the tips of his ears redden slightly.

 

Brianna didn’t seem to notice. She smiled good-naturedly at Sagani and said, “Well, I’m hoping Cosmo and I are a good fit. I’ve been interested in adopting a pet since I moved out here and when Aloth told me Cosmo’s story, I kind of fell in love.”

 

“Great! Cosmo is in the back if you’re ready to go see him. You know the way, Aloth,” Sagani said.

 

Aloth led Brianna to the cat area. There were several cats up for adoption at the moment, none of them older than two years except for Cosmo. Aloth pointed out Cosmo’s cage to Brianna.

 

“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” she cooed, “Let’s let him out.”

 

Aloth opened the cage and set Cosmo on the ground. The cat took a few cautious steps forward, sniffing the air. He went to Aloth first and rubbed up against his legs, meowing quietly.

 

“Seems like someone has a friend,” Brianna commented, smiling.

 

Aloth returned the smile. He reached for Cosmo’s favorite treats and handed them to Brianna.

 

“Here, give him a few of these and you’ll be his friend, too,” Aloth said.

 

Brianna sat cross legged on the ground and offered Cosmo a fish shaped treat. Aloth joined her on the ground and watched as the cat warily approached her to sniff the treat. Cosmo drew away after a moment, but continued to eye the treat. Brianna put the treat on the ground and Cosmo immediately scarfed it down. She offered Cosmo a few more treats and soon enough, the cat was rubbing up against her as well.

 

“He’s very affectionate. You always hear how cats don’t care about people. It’s good to know that’s not true,” Brianna said.

 

Aloth thought for a moment, “Edér told me once that people who think cats don’t care about people expect cats to behave like dogs and get upset when they don’t. Cats just show their affection differently.”

 

“Edér’s the old friend you work with right? Does he have a cat?” Brianna asked, scratching Cosmo’s head.

 

Aloth felt a warm sensation in his gut. He and Brianna had been texting since Xoti gave her his number and he had mentioned Edér a few times; he was gratified that she remembered.

 

Aloth nodded. “He has three cats, all of them with health problems. He takes in the cats that no one else wants, the ones that might have to be put down otherwise. He also has two dogs. Pitbulls.”

 

Brianna’s eyes went wide. “You have to introduce me to Edér. I have to meet this person. He’s my hero,” she said seriously.

 

Aloth chuckled, “We’re both working the morning shift tomorrow, if you come in I’ll introduce you.”

 

Brianna smiled. Aloth couldn’t help his eyes lingering a moment too long on her dimples. Cosmo trotted over to Aloth and chirped at him. Aloth pet him in long strokes down his back. When Aloth looked up, Brianna had her phone out and pointed at him.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she apologized, “I was taking a picture of Cosmo, but you’re kind of in it. I should’ve asked first, I’ll delete it if you want.”

 

Aloth hesitated for a moment. He didn’t usually like having his picture taken, but for some reason he didn’t mind the idea of Brianna having a picture of him.

 

“No, it’s alright,” Aloth said, “Are you going to send it to anyone?”

 

“Just Tekéhu,” Brianna explained. She had mentioned him to Aloth frequently; they were good friends and they also lived in the same apartment complex. “I told him about Cosmo and he insisted I send him a picture,” she said.

 

They were quiet for a few moments, until Brianna said, “Well, I definitely wanna adopt this little guy. I’m so glad you thought of me, Aloth. My apartment was getting way too lonely with just me in it.”

 

Aloth couldn’t help the pleased smile that formed on his features. “I’m glad it’s working out, for both of you. Let’s head out and talk to Sagani.”

 

Aloth picked up Cosmo and put him back in his cage. Brianna put her hand on the glass.

 

“Don’t worry, little guy. You’re coming home with me.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Sunday September 16 th, 2018**

 

Aloth was in his preferred position at Caed Nua Coffee this morning, making drinks and leaving them at the counter. He tried to stop himself from glancing at the door in between drinks, but he knew Brianna was coming in to meet Edér and he was excited to see her. Excited to hear about how Cosmo was doing, he meant. He could hear Iselmyr snicker at him and he let out a huff.

 

He was in the middle of making a cappuccino when he heard Brianna’s voice near the register. “You must be Edér! Aloth told me about your pets, I’m so jealous,” she gushed.

 

Aloth must have missed her come in. He looked over at the register and saw Edér talking to Brianna who was standing next to an unusual looking moon godlike. Aloth missed the rest of their conversation when he turned his focus back to the drink he was making.

 

The next drink up was Brianna’s. She had ordered her usual, a medium iced vanilla latte. He moved to the end of the counter next to where the finished drinks went when Brianna arrived there.

 

“Hey, Aloth!” she greeted him with a little wave.

 

“Good morning,” he replied, smiling.

 

“This is my friend I told you about, Tekéhu,” she said, motioning to the moon godlike next to her.

 

Tekéhu gave Aloth a pleasant smile. “I say, it is nice to meet you, Aloth. I would shake your hand if it were not already busy with coffee,” Tekéhu said.

 

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Aloth responded, setting Brianna’s drink down on the counter, “Here you go, Brianna.”

 

“Thanks,” she said, “Tekéhu, would you mind grabbing us a table? I’ll get your coffee.”

 

“Ekera, of course.”

 

Tekéhu gracefully moved to a high table near a window as Brianna fished around for something in her wallet. When she found it, she hesitated before holding it out to Aloth.

 

“Hey, um…I wanted to give you this,” she said.

 

Aloth paused from making Tekéhu’s white chocolate mocha to see what looked like a business card in Brianna’s outstretched hand. “What is it?” he inquired.

 

“It’s, um, my therapist’s card,” she said quietly, “I see her for regular mental illness, but she’s also supposed to be really good at helping people with, um, soul illnesses.”

 

Aloth felt himself go very still. He felt as if both he and Iselmyr were holding their breaths. After a moment, he regained control of himself and continued making Tekéhu’s coffee.

 

“I don’t know why you would think I would need that,” he replied stiffly, not looking at Brianna.

 

He could feel Brianna’s eyes on him. “Look, I’m not going back on our deal. I’m not asking about your…situation. But I think I know what it is. And I think Marcella, my therapist, can help. She’s really helped me and…I don’t know, I…”

 

Aloth finished making Tekéhu’s coffee and set it down in front of Brianna. He finally met her gaze. He expected to see pity in her eyes, but he only saw concern.

 

“I guess I just wanted to see if I could help you out. You really did me a solid with Cosmo and I wanted to return the favor,” she finished.

 

She offered her hand out again. Aloth only hesitated a moment before he took the business card. His fingertips brushed hers and his skin burned where they had touched.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Aloth promised.

 

Brianna smiled, “That’s all I ask. If you have any questions about Marcella, you can always text or call me.”

 

She waved goodbye and grabbed Tekéhu’s drink.

 

The weight of the business card in his pocket wasn’t quiet as heavy as he expected.

 

-

 

Aloth pulled down the hood of his jacket as he closed and locked his apartment door. His jacket was slightly damp from the rain outside, but he was spared the worst of it by Edér giving him a ride home from the restaurant. They had been out to dinner with Maia, Xoti, Kana, and Pallegina at one of their favorite haunts, First Fires.

 

Aloth toed off his shoes and moved into his bedroom. He opened up his laptop and turned on The National. Xoti was always teasing him for his taste in music. Apparently everything he liked was too sad, but Aloth liked what he liked.

 

Next, he changed out of his work clothes and into pajamas. He had tomorrow off so he wasn’t in a hurry to shower. He padded out into the living room in his bare feet to look for the book he was reading this morning. He was in the middle of Plato’s _Republic_ and he was eager to continue reading.

 

Aloth had just found the book on the table next to the couch when he heard his phone vibrating against the desk in his bedroom. He moved quickly into the room and picked it up to see that Brianna was calling him.

 

His heart stopped. They had never talked on the phone before. There was no reason he should be nervous, but he was. He watched in slow motion as his phone continued to vibrate. _Answer it, lad!_ Iselmyr shouted. He turned the music on his laptop down.

 

Aloth answered the call. “Hello?” he said.

 

“Hey, it’s Brianna, um, you probably already knew that. I hope it’s okay that I’m calling,” Brianna said. It seemed she was just as nervous as he was.

 

“Of course. It’s always nice to hear from you, Brianna,” Aloth replied. He was surprised as how smoothly the words came out.

 

“Oh! Good. I just wanted to apologize. For this morning, if I was too pushy. I’ve had complaints about that before,” she said.

 

Aloth moved towards his bed. “No, it’s quite alright. And I wouldn’t describe you as pushy,” he said as he sat against the headboard, “You seem…compassionate.”

 

The line went silent for a moment. “That’s kind of you to say,” she said quietly, “A lot of people don’t appreciate my ‘compassion,’ or mistake it for me being a busybody. I never mean it that way, but it can be hard to convince people I have good intentions. And even with good intentions, sometimes you end up doing more harm than good.”

 

Aloth made a humming noise. “So, how did you figure it out?”

 

“That you have an awakened soul? Uh, the internet exists, Aloth,” she chuckled, “After your little display when we met I did a little research and your behavior matched up with a few different soul illnesses, but I was able to narrow it down.”

 

They were quiet for a few moments, until Brianna asked, “Can you…tell me about her? Is it a her?”

 

“Yes, it is a her,” Aloth replied, “Her name is Iselmyr. You’ve heard her speak. She’s loud, brash, and uncouth.”

 

Brianna made a thoughtful noise.

 

“If I seem unwilling to see this therapist of yours, it’s only because I’ve seen many so-called ‘experts’ on soul illnesses since my Awakening. None of them have been helpful. My favorite suggested that Iselmyr resided in my spleen and that removing the organ would solve my problems,” Aloth explained.

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Brianna teased, “I think you’d be more pleasant without your spleen.”

 

They both laughed.

 

“In all seriousness, I’m sorry, Aloth. That sounds awful. You don’t have to see Marcella if you don’t want to, but I don’t think it would hurt to have one appointment with her. Just to see if she’s worth your time. I could even go with, if you wanted.”

 

Aloth considered her words. “I need more time to think about it, Brianna.”

 

“Of course, it’s a big decision,” Brianna said.

 

Aloth felt as if a large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “It’s a relief, being able to talk to you about this. I’m used to not telling anyone about Iselmyr,” he confided.

 

“Do your friends know? From the CNC, I mean,” Brianna asked.

 

“Edér, Xoti, Maia, and Pallegina do, yes. We’ve known each other for years and when you spend as much time together as we do, Iselmyr becomes difficult to hide,” Aloth said.

 

He heard Brianna take a deep breath. “Well, I guess it’s only fair I tell you my deep, dark secret, then,” she said, exhaling.

 

“Brianna, you don’t have to-“

 

“No, I want to. You…I have a good feeling about you, Aloth.”

 

Brianna took another deep breath. “I’m a cipher.”

 

Aloth gripped his phone tightly. It was as he suspected the night they met, but he was still taken aback. Ciphers were rare, to be sure, and considered extremely dangerous, if you believed Eoran government propaganda. Most ciphers were recruited at a young age into a military program and their families paid off to keep quiet.

 

“I suspected as much,” Aloth replied, “but I confess, I know little about ciphers. What exactly can you do?”

 

“Well, every cipher is a little different. That’s one of the reasons the government doesn’t like us roaming around on our own,” she said bitterly, “Most ciphers can read minds. Some can implant thoughts and erase thoughts, that’s pretty common. Others can…control people’s thoughts, like you saw me do when we met. That’s a lot less common. I try not to do that if I don’t have to.”

 

“So, you’re one of the more powerful ciphers?” Aloth asked.

 

“Yeah. The Eoran government doesn’t like that I slipped their leash, but my parents worked hard for my freedom. We earned it, every bit of it,” she said with conviction.

 

Aloth was curious what that meant, but decided to keep his questions to himself for the moment.

 

She took a few breaths. “Being a cipher, it makes you a target. So when you say you don’t tell people about Iselmyr, I get it. Most people I’ve known over the years never knew I was a cipher. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone about it.”

 

“Thank you for trusting me with this, Brianna,” Aloth said.

 

“Likewise, Aloth.”

 

They spent the next couple of hours talking about lighter subjects, like how Cosmo was doing (he had spent most of the day hiding under the bed, typical for a cat in a new environment) and how Brianna’s classes were going (good so far, but it can be hard to judge teachers at the beginning of the semester).

 

When they said goodnight, Aloth felt a lightness in his chest he hadn’t felt in years.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Friday September 21 st, 2018**

 

Brianna was back in Dyrford Crossing, sitting on a bench waiting for Hiravias. The orlan had called her that morning to tell her he had some information on The Leaden Key for her. She nervously bounced her leg up and down. She looked down the path to the left and to the right, spotting the telltale shock of red hair to the right.

 

She stood up and briskly walked to meet Hiravias.

 

“Hello! Eager to get your hands on this information, I see,” Hiravias said enthusiastically. He opened his messenger bag and pulled out a manila folder. “This is what I was able to find. Not as much as I would like, but it should be enough to get you started.”

 

Brianna took the folder from his outstretched hands. She opened it and started leafing through the papers.

 

“You were spot on about the adra. I found numerous links between your secretive organization and adra sales. They seem to be collecting it, not selling it,” Hiravias explained.

 

Brianna nodded and continued looking through the papers. She noticed a name had been highlighted repeatedly.

 

“Thaos?” she asked.

 

“Ah, Thaos. His name came up in multiple documents. I don’t know if that’s his real name or not, but he seems to be some kind of leader. A decision maker.”

 

She finished scanning the papers and closed the folder.

 

“There’s one more thing you should know. I was contacted by a Ms. Webb. I seemed to have attracted her attention by doing this research. She asked me why I was looking into The Leaden Key and when I explained I was doing it for a friend, she asked to meet you. I said I would need to talk to you about it,” Hiravias said.

 

“Wait, _the_ Ms. Webb? The famous recluse?” Brianna asked.

 

“The one and only! She lives about an hour north of Defiance Bay.”

 

“Thank you, Hiravias. This is way more than I hoped for,” she smiled at him.

 

_And a possible meeting with Ms. Webb…it could be a lead, or it could be a trap. It might be time to bring in some more help on this._

“There’s one more thing I wanted to ask you to look into,” Brianna said, “I don’t know if there’s anything to it, but I suspect The Leaden Key had something to do with my parents’ deaths.”

 

Hiravias bowed his head. “You have my condolences. What can you tell me about the circumstances?”

 

“Our house caught fire, back in Readceras. I was out of town at the time, visiting Tekéhu in Neketaka. Otherwise I’d probably be dead, too,” Brianna recalled, “It was ultimately ruled an accident. Faulty wiring.”

 

“But you don’t buy it,” Hiravias surmised.

 

“No, I don’t. I have my reasons, but I want to see what you can find before I share them.”

 

“Fair enough. I’ll see what I can dig up and get back to you.”

-

 

Edér clapped Aloth on the shoulder as Aloth moved from behind the counter.

 

“Go get ‘em, tiger!” Xoti stage whispered at him.

 

Aloth rolled his eyes and hoped Brianna didn’t hear her. He looked at the round table she was sitting at, grateful to see she was engrossed in something on her phone. He smoothed his shirt down with his hands and moved to sit down with her.

 

“Oh, Aloth! It’s good to see you!” she said, looking up at him and smiling. There was something infectious about her smile and Aloth couldn’t help but smile back.

 

“Likewise. I trust you’re enjoying your coffee,” Aloth said, inclining his head towards her coffee cup.

 

She nodded. “Xoti convinced me to try an iced caramel macchiato. It’s delicious,” she paused to take a sip of her drink, “Oh, before I forget, Tekéhu invited me to a party tonight. One of his art department friends is hosting it. He said I’m welcome to invite anyone I want, so I was wondering if you and your friends wanted to come.”

 

Aloth was conflicted. College parties weren’t his thing, he had been to enough to know that. But he relished the chance to spend more time with Brianna, and he knew Pallegina and Maia both wanted to meet her.

 

Aloth knotted his fingers together in his lap. “I’m not sure how long I’d stay, but I know my friends would love to go.”

 

Brianna smiled. “Yeah, I kinda figured you weren’t much of a party person,” she acknowledged, “Don’t worry, we don’t have to stay long if you’re not having a good time. The party’s not far from my apartment. We can always bail and watch a movie or something.”

 

Now that sounded much more appealing to Aloth.

 

“Is that a promise, Brianna?” Aloth asked.

 

Brianna held out her pinky finger to Aloth. Aloth chuckled, but intertwined his pinky with hers.

 

“I pinky promise,” she said, smiling at him as if the two of them were in on a marvelous secret.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Friday September 21 st, 2018**

 

The house party was about what Brianna expected from the art students Tekéhu typically hung out with. It was hardly a frat party; most people were pleasantly tipsy rather than wasted and there was plenty of soda and water for anyone who didn’t want alcohol. The music wasn’t too loud, just loud enough that you had to raise your voice slightly to talk to people.

 

She clutched a bottle of water in her hand tightly as she weaved through several groups of people. She had promised Aloth something to drink and he was the designated driver for his group of friends. He had said water was his first choice over soda. “A man after my own heart,” she had said and he blushed beautifully. Her heart warmed at the thought. _Don’t go there,_ she chided herself for her straying thoughts, _there’s no way he’s interested in someone like you._

Finally, she found her way back to Aloth. He was standing in a quieter area of the house’s family room with Tekéhu, Pallegina, and Edér. Tekéhu and Pallegina seemed engrossed in some kind of debate and Aloth and Edér were watching with amusement.

 

Brianna sidled in next to Aloth and handed him the bottle of water.

 

“Thank you,” he said, twisting off the cap and taking a sip.

 

“No problem,” she replied, “Where did Maia and Xoti go?”

 

“They got bored of the debate,” he explained, inclining his head in Pallegina and Tekéhu’s direction, “Xoti said she wanted to dance and they went in the direction of the music.”

 

Brianna made a noise of understanding and turned her focus towards the discussion Pallegina and Tekéhu were having. She had just met Pallegina a couple of hours ago, but she liked the avian godlike so far. She was straightforward and bold, traits Brianna admired.

 

“You do not enjoy your blessings from the gods? What say?” Tekéhu asked pleasantly.

 

Pallegina’s face formed a scowl. “No, and I do not consider these feathers _blessings_. Hylea has never done anything for me. Neither have any of the other gods.”

 

Brianna caught the fraction of a second that Tekéhu let the mask of pleasantness slip, showing uncertainty, but she doubted the others saw it. She blinked and once again he was smiling.

 

“Perhaps you haven’t been using them properly. I have found that the blessings Ngati has given me are extremely helpful in attracting mates,” he said.

 

Brianna barked out a laugh. Pallegina furrowed her brow in angry confusion. Edér looked equally confused. Aloth looked like he was trying to hold back a smile.

 

“Postenago, we cannot have ‘mates.’ Godlike are infertile,” Pallegina challenged.

 

“Ekera, of course,” Tekéhu said easily, “I did not mean for reproduction. I meant for pleasure. Speaking of which, there is a handsome pale elf on the other side of the room who has been making eyes at me for some time now. It would be rude to ignore him any longer. If you’ll excuse me.”

 

“Bazzo!” Pallegina spat at his retreating back.

 

Brianna glanced at Aloth who was rolling his eyes but had a smile on his face now. She looked over at where Tekéhu had gone and spotted him talking to a smiling pale elf. If she knew Tekéhu, the pair would be leaving together in an hour or two.

 

Brianna, checked to make sure Aloth, Pallegina and Edér were engrossed in conversation before she closed her eyes and reached out for the pale elf’s mind. She carefully sifted through his thoughts, looking for any hidden motives behind his interest in Tekéhu. She moved past his immediate intentions (kinky, but not malicious) and went deeper. To her relief, she found nothing.

 

When she opened her eyes, Aloth had a hand on her shoulder and was quietly saying her name. Thankfully, Pallegina and Edér hadn’t noticed.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Brianna said, “I was…” she tapped the side of her head.

 

Aloth let his hand fall and she immediately missed the warmth on her arm.

 

“I see,” he said, nodding, “Is everything alright?”

 

“Yeah, I was just…vetting Tekéhu’s new friend,” she explained.

 

Aloth frowned a little. “Does Tekéhu know? About your abilities?” he asked.

 

Brianna suddenly felt guilty. “No, he doesn’t. It’s not something I meant to keep from him, I just…” she trailed off, looking down.

 

“It’s easier not to tell them,” Aloth finished.

 

Brianna met his eyes, surprised to see them full of understanding instead of judgement. “Yes. Exactly,” she said softly, “I know I should tell him, but it feels like I’ve waited too long now.”

 

Aloth looked thoughtful for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Edér. “So, Brianna, Aloth says you’re from Readceras. You move out here just for school?”

 

_Actually, I moved out here to track down a cult that may or may not have killed my parents, thanks for asking,_ Brianna thought.

 

“Yeah, I’ve got a year left before I finish my sociology degree,” Brianna answered.

 

“Do you know what you want to do after you graduate?” Pallegina asked politely.

 

“Nope, haven’t really thought that far ahead,” Brianna replied.

 

Edér nodded, “That’s alright, life has a way of working itself out. You’ll find your way.”

 

Brianna smiled.

 

“You got any family back in Readceras?” Edér asked.

 

“Uh, no. Nope, it’s just me now. My parents passed away about a year ago and I don’t have any siblings,” Brianna answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

 

Her focus was on Edér, but out of the corner of her eye Brianna saw Aloth go very still. They hadn’t talked about family yet; every time they got near it one of them would change the topic. She had sensed it was a sore subject for him as well as her.

 

Edér, Pallegina, and Aloth all offered their condolences.

 

“What about you, Edér? Aloth told me you’re from Gilded Vale. Do you have family there?” Brianna asked.

 

“Yep, my parents still live there. They live on our farm,” Edér said, “You know, Aloth and I actually met in Gilded Vale. Did he tell you?”

 

Brianna shook her head.

 

“Aloth had just arrived from Aedyr and I was looking for a way out of town. That must have been, oh…six years ago? Just after the war ended,” Edér said.

 

“The Saints War?” Brianna asked.

 

“Yep. Aloth and I met and decided to get the Hel out of there. We applied to Defiance Bay University and the rest is history.”

 

“Why did you want to leave Gilded Vale?” Brianna asked.

 

“Long story, and not a happy one. I’ll tell you another time,” Edér said.

 

Brianna understood wanting to leave your hometown, so she didn’t push it.

 

Just then, Maia and Xoti returned.

  
“Will you guys come dance with us? Please?” Xoti said a little too loudly. It was obvious she was pleasantly drunk.

 

“No,” Pallegina said.

 

“You know I’m not one for dancing,” Aloth said, more diplomatically.

 

“I’ll dance with you, Xoti!” Brianna said cheerfully, “Will you dance with us, Edér?”

 

“Well, how could I say no to such a lovely invitation?” Edér said with a smile.

 

Xoti grabbed Brianna and Edér by the hands and led them into the other room. Maia followed behind, laughing good-naturedly.

 

They arrived in the main living room where about a dozen people were dancing. The music had a strong beat and a good rhythm, perfect for dancing to. Xoti immediately took Maia by the hand and they started dancing.

 

Brianna felt a little self-conscious, but ignored it as she started dancing with her new friends. Next to her, Edér started dancing as well. Before long, the anxiety had been replaced with exhilaration. For a moment, she was able to forget about school, the future, and The Leaden Key. Just for a moment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning!!! brief mention of sexual misconduct involving a minor, no details are given

**Wednesday October 3 rd, 2018**

 

Aloth twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt. He hated waiting in doctor’s offices. The gray walls were adorned with photographs of Parisian stoops that did little to ease his mind.

 

Next to him, Brianna sat seemingly at ease. _Easier for her_ , he thought, _all she has to do his sit there. No one is going to ask her about the time she almost killed her father._

 

He tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in his throat.

 

“Hey,” Brianna said gently, “Everything’s gonna be okay. You can leave at any time. If she does anything you don’t like, you can walk out.”

 

Now that was actually reassuring. This time, Aloth was able to take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

 

Brianna held out her hand, palm up, to him. An invitation.

 

Slowly, he unclenched his hand from his shirt and clasped it in hers. She brought their entwined hands to rest on her thigh.

 

“Do you wanna hear how I met Tekéhu?” Brianna offered.

 

Aloth nodded.

 

“He was an exchange student at my high school in Readceras our senior year. Everyone thought he was hot shit because he was a moon godlike and Ondra’s chosen at that. We had a class together, math, but we never talked. So I knew who he was, but we weren’t friends or anything,” Brianna began.

 

“Then one day, I’m on my way to lunch when I realize I left my calculator back in my math class. I walk into the classroom to find our fucking teacher leering at Tekéhu who was obviously uncomfortable. It took me about a millisecond to figure out what was happening. The teacher had Tekéhu cornered up against a desk, so I sidled on up and linked arms with Tekéhu. I pretended we were friends and that I had been looking for him in the cafeteria. Didn’t give him time to say anything, just dragged him right out.”

 

“What happened to the teacher?” Aloth asked.

 

“Well, I asked Tekéhu what he wanted to do. I wasn’t gonna make that decision for him,” Brianna said, “He decided to report the incident to the Dean of Students. I reported it as well. We didn’t have any proof, but there had been rumors about the teacher before and it was enough for him to be suspended. There was a full investigation. He was fired.”

 

Brianna was silent for a moment.

 

“What happened to your calculator?” Aloth asked.

 

Brianna laughed quietly, but it sounded loud in the bare waiting room. Aloth was certain he’d never heard a more beautiful sound.

 

“Never found it, actually. I looked for it the next day, but it was gone,” she said, “Bet that bastard teacher took it.”

 

“So, Tekéhu and I have been friends ever since,” Brianna continued. She furrowed her brow as she said, “Sometimes…sometimes people think they can take advantage of Tekéhu. I try not to let that happen. Not just to Tekéhu, but to anyone. Especially not my friends.”

 

Aloth nodded.

 

“But it’s not right, what I’ve been doing, is it?” Brianna said, looking down at their hands, “Digging around in people’s heads without him knowing.”

 

Aloth squeezed her hand gently.

 

She looked up and met his gaze. “I need to tell him. He deserves the truth.”

 

“You did what you did for a good reason, but I agree,” Aloth said.

 

The door in front of them opened and a woman with long, black hair stepped out. She wore beautiful charm bracelets on both wrists that clinked softly as she moved. _She must be Marcella,_ Aloth thought.

 

“Aloth?” the woman called gently.

 

Brianna gave his hand a last squeeze before letting go. She gave him an encouraging smile as he stood.

 

Aloth walked to the open door and the woman gave him a warm smile.

 

“Hello. Please, come in,” she greeted, moving to make way for him.

 

Aloth resisted the urge to look back at Brianna as he walked past the threshold _. I can do this_.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Brianna had just parked her car in her apartment’s parking lot when her phone started buzzing. Tekéhu was calling her.

 

“Hello?” she answered.

 

“Brianna? Where are you?” he asked. She had never heard him sound so serious.

 

“Uh, I’m in the car. I just got home,” she said, “What’s going on?”

 

“Someone’s vandalized your apartment door. You need to come see this,” he answered.

 

“What? What did they do?” she asked. She could feel her pulse quickening. _It’s The Leaden Key_ , she thought, _I know it is_.

 

“They…you should come see for yourself.”

 

They said their goodbyes and Brianna rushed into the building. She lived on the 5th floor, next to Tekéhu. The elevator seemed to move at a snail’s pace as she rode it to her floor.

 

Brianna jogged down the hallway, spotting Tekéhu standing outside her apartment. As she neared him, she could see the frown on his face. When she spotted the word scrawled in large, yellow letters across her door, she understood why.

 

CIPHER

 

She was momentarily speechless. She looked to Tekéhu, expecting…anger, betrayal, anything to make her feel less like a shitty human being. Instead, she saw only sadness.

 

“Is it true?” he asked quietly.

 

Brianna blinked back tears. “Yes,” she whispered.

 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, Tekéhu. I don’t know why…it just…it was easier not to,” Brianna continued.

 

“Ekera, I understand,” Tekéhu said, “but I am disappointed you did not trust me. We have been friends for many years. You aren’t obligated to share all of your secrets with me, but…this is quite a secret.”

 

“I know,” Brianna said quietly. Her tears were flowing freely now. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you, Tekéhu. I…I don’t know. Sometimes, it’s just easier to keep things to yourself. I don’t tell most people I’m a cipher.”

 

Tekéhu nodded. “Well, looks like we have some work to do. First, we need to check the rest of your apartment and make sure everything is in order. Then we need to call the super and have him clean this up.”

 

Brianna stared blankly at Tekéhu.

 

“What?” she said dumbly.

 

“Was something I said confusing? What say?” he asked pleasantly.

 

Brianna shook her head. “You’re…you’re not like, disowning me? Unfriending me? We’re not friend breaking up?”

 

Tekéhu placed a hand on Brianna’s shoulder. “You have been a very good friend to me, Brianna. Ekera, you are one of my best friends. I do not throw away something so precious lightly.”

 

Brianna wrapped her arms around Tekéhu’s midsection and pressed her face into his chest. _Maybe what I was really afraid of was losing him_. He placed one hand on her head and the other in between her shoulder blades. She could feel her tears dampening the fabric of his shirt, but she knew he wouldn’t mind. She could smell the faint aroma of the ocean that always clung to him and it calmed her.

 

She pulled away and wiped at her face with her sleeve.

 

Brianna got out her keys and opened the door to her apartment. She immediately saw a piece of paper on the floor. Someone must have slipped it under the door.

 

When she picked it up, she realized it was more like parchment than plain, white paper. The writing was elegant, but legible. Tekéhu looked over her shoulder and they both read: “Stop digging or we will retaliate again, bolder than this. -TLK”

 

“Who or what is TLK?” Tekéhu asked, furrowing his brow.

 

Brianna sighed. “I’ve got one more secret to tell you, Tekéhu,” she said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Saturday October 13 th, 2018**

 

Brianna turned off the car and took a deep breath. She looked over at Aloth in the passenger seat and he gave her a reassuring smile. _No going back now_ , she thought. Edér and Tekéhu got out of the backseat while Brianna and Aloth opened their doors.

 

“Ah, Brianna! It’s good to see you,” Hiravias greeted her. He explained that he had arrived a few minutes earlier.

 

“These are our friends, Aloth and Edér,” Brianna introduced.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Hiravias said, shaking both of their hands, “I take it everyone’s caught up on The Leaden Key?”

 

“Yeah, everyone knows what we know,” Brianna confirmed. The night that her door had been vandalized, she had invited Aloth and Edér over with Tekéhu. She told them everything she had told Hiravias and showed them all of the information the orlan had been able to find so far.

 

“Excellent, then we shouldn’t keep Ms. Webb waiting any longer.”

 

The group moved up the stairs to the front door. Hiravias pressed the doorbell and a few seconds later a man in a suit opened the door.

 

“Hiravias and friends. We have an appointment with Ms. Webb at noon,” Hiravias said.

 

“Yes, you are expected. Please follow me,” the man said.

 

The group moved into the manor and followed the man through an tastefully decorated entryway. Brianna glimpsed a lavish living room and dining room off the main hallway as they walked before they began ascending a large staircase.

 

They continued down an upstairs hallway, similar to the first, until they reached the last door on the right. The man in the suit knocked and a voice from inside bid them to enter. The man opened the door and beckoned for them to walk in.

 

Hiravias entered first, followed by Brianna, Aloth, Edér, and Tekéhu. They were in a finely furnished bedroom that seemed to also function as a study. The man in the suit closed the door behind them and left.

 

Close to the door, near the right wall stood a woman behind a desk who Brianna realized must be Ms. Webb. She had short, curly gray hair and wore a sharp suit that Brianna guessed cost more than her entire wardrobe.

 

“Ah, it’s so good to finally meet you in person,” Ms. Webb said, addressing Brianna, “The woman who thinks to take on The Leaden Key.”

 

Brianna thought for a moment before answering. “I’ve made no plans to take on The Leaden Key. All I’ve done is gather information.”

 

“But you see, my dear, that might as well be a declaration of war as far as the Key is concerned,” Ms. Webb replied, reaching for a glass decanter on the desk in front of her and pouring herself a glass of the dark liquid inside.

 

Brianna furrowed her brow.

 

“You seem to be considerably well informed about this group, Ms. Webb,” Hiravis said.

 

“Yes, I am,” Ms. Webb said.

 

They were all quiet for a moment.

 

“What is it you want from us?” Brianna asked.

 

“I have an interest in finding information about an elusive member of The Leaden Key. Our priorities align. I propose an alliance,” Ms. Webb stated.

 

“What would an alliance with you get us?” Brianna asked.

 

“I’m a very well connected woman,” Ms. Webb said, setting down her now empty glass, “I can get you access to more information than your journalist friend here ever could. I can get you access to places that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to enter. As you are no doubt aware, I don’t leave the house. In exchange for this access, you would do the leg work.”

 

Brianna worried her teeth on her bottom lip and glanced at Tekéhu. She gently reached out to his mind and felt his uncertainty.

 

“How do we know you actually have this access, Ms. Webb?” Aloth interjected.

 

Ms. Webb was silent for a beat and then she smiled wickedly. “Oh, would you like me to prove it? In preparation for this meeting, I gathered information on all of you.”

 

“Let’s start with you,” she said, looking at Brianna, “One of the most powerful ciphers in Eora. Yet you managed to dodge the government’s clutches. How fortunate your parents were able to settle the lawsuit with the military out of court.”

 

Brianna felt the color drain from her face. _She can’t know about that_ , she thought, _those records were supposed to be sealed._ She was vaguely aware of the surprise and confusion of her friends pressing in on her mind.

 

“Would anyone like to volunteer to go next? No?” Ms. Webb locked eyes with Aloth, “How about the elf then. Your father-“

 

“That’s enough!” Brianna interrupted harshly. She could feel her anger simmering just beneath the surface but she felt strangely calm when she said, “You can come at me all you want, but my friends are off limits. Got it?”

 

Ms. Webb’s face was a mask, but Brianna noticed something in her gaze that resembled respect. After a few moments, Ms. Webb nodded.

 

“Can we have a minute to discuss this? Privately?” Brianna asked.

 

“Of course. You can step out into the hallway.”

 

Hiravias, Edér, Aloth, Brianna, and Tekéhu filed out into the hallway and moved a ways away from Ms. Webb’s room.

 

Brianna stopped short of the others and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

 

“Brianna?” came Aloth’s gentle voice to her left.

 

She opened her eyes to find Aloth hovering next to her.

 

“Are you alright?” he asked, looking concerned.

 

“Yeah. That was just…yeah, I’m fine,” she said, unconvinced by her own words, “What about you? Are you good?”

 

Aloth clasped his hands together and looked down at them. “I…yes, I’m fine. Thank you for intervening,” he said quietly.

 

“Of course,” Brianna said automatically. “She was out of line.”

 

Aloth met her gaze, eyes searching for something.

 

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Instead, he said, “We should join the others.”

 

Brianna and Aloth moved to Edér, Hiravias, and Tekéhu who were already deep in discussion about Ms. Webb.

 

“You really think we can trust her?” Edér was saying.

 

“I think we can trust her to a point,” Hiravias answered, “I wouldn’t trust her to never betray us, but I think if we really want to get to the bottom of this Leaden Key business, we need her.”

 

“Ekera, I agree. Her status will grant us access to places and information we could never get on our own,” Tekéhu said.

 

Edér rubbed his beard. “I don’t like it, but I get it. As long as we’re careful.”

 

Brianna looked at Aloth. He folded his arms and seemed to consider his words carefully.

 

“Ms. Webb clearly has her own agenda. But she’s not wrong; our interests coincide and we can greatly benefit from helping her. I’d feel better if we knew who exactly she was trying to find information about in The Leaden Key and what she intends to do with that information,” Aloth said.

 

Brianna nodded, taking in his words. “Let’s see if she’ll give us any clarification about her goals before we agree to anything. But it sounds like we’re all on the same page.”

 

Brianna made brief eye contact with everyone before turning around and leading the group back into Ms. Webb’s room.

 

Ms. Webb looked at Brianna expectantly.

 

“There’s something we’d like to talk to you about, Ms. Webb,” Brianna said, “This person in The Leaden Key you’re interested in.”

 

Ms. Webb was quiet, long enough that Brianna thought she wasn’t going to respond.

 

“Thaos. I’m looking for information on their leader, Thaos. Certainly you’ve heard of him,” Ms. Webb said bitterly.

 

“What do you intend to do with this information?” Brianna asked.

 

“I intend to…understand him,” Ms. Webb replied, “Many years ago I expected him to kill me. But he didn’t. I want to know why.”

 

Brianna couldn’t hide the surprise from her face. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but that certainly wasn’t it.

 

Brianna glanced at Aloth who gave her a quick nod. She looked back at Ms. Webb.

 

“We’re willing to work with you, Ms. Webb. Where do we start?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Tuesday October 16 th, 2018**

 

“Thanks for doing this, Edér,” Brianna said as she started the car.

 

“No problem. Always happy to help,” Edér replied easily, “So, has Cosmo been tearing up your furniture?”

 

Edér and Brianna were on their way to the pet store to buy a climbing tree for Cosmo.

 

“No, Cosmo’s been great. Using the scratching post like an angel. But I read it never hurts to have another scratching post and also he’s been climbing on top of the refrigerator? So I think he needs more things to climb on,” Brianna explained.

 

“Ah, so you want something big. That’s why you called in the big guns,” Edér said, flexing and raising an eyebrow.

 

“Yep,” Brianna chuckled, “No way could I carry one of those things from the parking lot to my apartment by myself. I really appreciate your help.”

 

Edér smiled at her and leaned back in the passenger seat. They were quiet for several minutes, letting the sounds of the car and the radio fill the silence.

 

“Edér, I don’t mean to pry, but you said you’d tell me why you wanted to leave Gilded Vale. Would you mind telling me now?” Brianna asked, eyes on the road.

 

“Sure, I don’t mind talking ‘bout it. Just warning you, folks usually regret askin’,” Edér said.

 

“My brother, Woden, and I both fought in the Saints War. We fought for the Dyrwood, even though we were Eothasians. My brother, he didn’t make it home. The army said he was killed in a top secret op, never told us the details. Classified, apparently,” Edér scoffed before he continued, “Never sent his body home neither. All we got were his dog tags and a Dyrwoodan flag.”

 

Brianna was speechless. Her knuckles had gone white from gripping the steering wheel.

 

“Edér…Edér, I’m so sorry,” she said.

 

“Thanks,” Edér said, “Anyway, when I came home from the war, folks treated me like a hero. But after a few years, they started acting like Woden did something wrong. Then they started acting like _I_ did something wrong. I just couldn’t stay there anymore.”

 

“The worst part was, it got to me. Made me wonder…what if Woden did do somethin’? What if he did somethin’ wrong and it got covered up? I don’t know,” Edér said quietly, looking out the passenger window.

 

Brianna thought for a moment before she asked, “Do you still have his dog tags?”

 

“Yeah, ‘course. Why do you ask?” Edér said.

 

“I might be able to get you some answers.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Brianna sat on Aloth’s couch with her eyes closed and took deep breaths, trying to clear her mind. She learned a long time ago it was important to have a calm mind when she tried to read the memories from an object, especially when the memories were old.

 

Aloth sat on the couch to her right and Eder sat in the armchair to her diagonal left. She had asked Aloth if they could use his apartment for the reading; she needed a neutral location, devoid of Eder’s memories as well as hers.

 

Brianna opened her eyes and looked at Eder. “Okay, I’m ready,” she told him.

 

She held out her hand and Eder gave her the dog tags without hesitating.

 

“I’ll also need to hold your hand. Your mind will act as an emotional tether, if that makes sense,” Brianna said.

 

Eder shrugged. “Not really, but I’ll do it,” he said and offered his hand.

 

Brianna gently took it in her left hand and clutched the dog tags in her right. She closed her eyes to better focus. She opened her mind to the sensations around her.

 

Eder’s mental presence was strong in her mind, as well as Aloth’s. She lingered for a moment on Aloths’ thoughts, sensing his curiosity and concern, before pushing him out of her thoughts. She brought Eder’s thoughts into focus, sifting through them until she found his memories of Woden.

 

She could tell that his bond with Woden was strong. _Good_ , she thought, _that’ll make this easier_.

 

Next, she focused on Woden’s dog tags. She scrunched her face in concentration, feeling the memories attached to them just beyond her reach. After several moments of feeling like she was pushing against an invisible wall, she broke through and was flooded with Woden’s memories. The memories threatened to flash by so quickly that she was afraid she would miss the one she was looking for, so she slowed them down to catch a few frames of each one.

 

Brianna saw a man with Eder’s complexion and hair color put the dog tags on for the first time, when he first arrived at boot camp. She saw him as he progressed through training after he got a buzz cut. Next, she saw him fire a gun for the first time and how his hands shook so hard afterwards he dropped it.

 

She sped up the memories, the way one would fast forward a video.

 

She slowed down when she saw Woden in combat. He wore fatigues and carried an assault rifle, like most ground troops during the Saints War. Quickly after that, however, it seems he was promoted. Next she saw him in better gear with more advanced gun. He was tasked with rooting out Readceran operatives hiding in remote Readceran villages.

 

Brianna watched as Woden spent time with the people in his unit, laughing and crying with them. She sped up the memories, stopping when she neared the end.

 

Woden was running towards a small civilian settlement in Readceras. His thoughts were nearly incoherent and Brianna couldn’t decipher what he was intending to do. She caught certain phrases: _those bastards_ and _have to get them out_ and _they’re fucking civilians_.

 

When he was just outside of the small town, Woden threw all of his weapons to the ground and walked in with his hands up. He was breathing heavily from running, but he shouted at the top of his lungs that the villagers needed to evacuate. They didn’t believe him at first, but he convinced them by telling them a drone strike was incoming.

 

Woden ran through the village, going from building to building evacuating people. He didn’t make it out before the drone strike hit. Woden’s memories abruptly ended.

 

The next memory came from a Readceran EMT who tried to revive him, brushing Woden’s dog tags off his chest before performing CPR.

 

Brianna had seen enough. She pulled away from Woden’s memories, back into her own mind. She became aware of Eder’s hand, still in her left hand, and the dog tags in her right hand. The dog tags suddenly felt much heavier. She also became aware that Aloth was saying her name and shaking her shoulder gently.

 

Brianna opened her eyes and let Eder’s hand go. She handed him back the dog tags.

 

“Brianna?” Aloth asked.

 

“I’m alright,” she said.

 

“Here,” he offered her a tissue and gestured towards her face, “Your nose, it’s bleeding.”

 

“Oh, thank you,” Brianna said.

 

She wiped the blood from her face and turned to Eder who was looking at her hopefully.

 

“So, did you…see anything?” he asked, clutching Woden’s dog tags.

 

“I saw a lot. I saw everything. Everything that happened when he died,” Brianna said.

 

She relayed the events of Woden’s death to Eder. “It was a coverup, Eder. He saved almost everyone in that village from dying to that drone strike and the Dyrwoodan government lied about it,” Brianna said, dismay evident in her voice.

 

Eder was quiet. He looked at the dog tags in his hands as he said, “So, he didn’t do anythin’ wrong. That’s just like him, puttin’ himself in danger to save others.”

 

He looked up at Brianna with tears in his eyes. “Thank you,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

 

Brianna gave him a small smile. “You’re welcome,” she replied, “I’m glad I could help.”

 

Brianna excused herself and moved into the kitchen to throw away her tissue. From the doorway, she saw Eder and Aloth stand up and hug each other. A warmth spread in her chest at the sight.

 

She hadn’t been looking for new friends, but the ones she had found were exactly what she needed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Friday October 19 th, 2018**

 

“What do you guys think about this top?” Xoti asked.

 

Brianna, Pallegina, and Xoti were all at Maia’s apartment, getting ready to head to the beach for a bonfire Eder had organized. Xoti was in the process of trying on several outfits.

 

“You look amazing, babe,” Maia replied sincerely.

 

“You said that about the last two shirts,” Xoti said, pouting.

 

“And you looked amazing in them,” Maia said.

 

“You useless bisexual,” Xoti huffed, throwing her hands in the air and going back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

 

Brianna made eye contact with Maia and they both chuckled.

 

Pallegina took a sip of the wine glass he was nursing before she said, “Brianna, what do you think of Aloth?”

 

_Direct, as usual_ , Brianna thought, _doesn’t leave me much room to be evasive._

“He’s a good friend. I’m really glad we met,” Brianna answered truthfully, “and he introduced me to all of you, so I’m really grateful for that. I didn’t expect to make so many nice friends in Defiance Bay.”

 

They didn’t need to know she also frequently daydreamed about running behind the counter of Caed Nua Coffee while he was working and kissing him right there for everyone to see.

 

“But do you _like_ him?” Maia asked.

 

Brianna laughed. “What, are we 12? Do I _like_ him?”

 

Maia looked at Pallegina and said, “Avoiding the question.”

 

Pallegina nodded. “Ac, but she does not need to answer if she does not want to.”

 

Brianna felt the color rise in her cheeks, but thankfully the two didn’t press her any further.

 

Instead Pallegina said, “I believe he cares for you very much. If you do not feel the same, be careful you do not give him false hope.”

 

That caught Brianna off guard. _Could he really…?_

“I hear you, Pallegina,” Brianna said.

 

Xoti came back into the living room, wearing the first outfit she had tried on.

 

“I’m ready!” she announced.

 

“You look beautiful,” Maia told her, getting up to give her a quick kiss, “We should head to the beach. Eder wants us there by 8.”

 

“Thanks for driving us, Maia. That’s very kind of you,” Brianna said as they prepared to leave.

 

“It’s no problem,” Maia told her, “We all take turns being the designated driver. And I like to make sure Xoti gets home safe.”

 

“Brianna, would you text Aloth and tell them we’re on our way?” Xoti asked innocently. _A little too innocently,_ Brianna thought.

 

Brianna looked at all three of them and narrowed her eyes. “Are you guys conspiring against me?”

 

“More like conspiring for you. With you? With your best interests at heart,” Maia replied.

 

Brianna huffed and rolled her eyes, but she pulled out her phone. She typed out a quick text to Aloth: **_we’re on our way, should be about 30 minutes from maia’s to anslog’s compass._**

****

As they were getting in Maia’s car, she received a reply from Aloth: **_Sounds good, we’re looking forward to seeing all of you. Drive safe._**

 

She was about to put her phone away when she got another text from him: **_There’s something I wanted to talk to you about, would you mind if I stole a few minutes of your time tonight?_**

****

Brianna could feel her heartrate pick up. She hoped everything was alright: **_yeah of course, you know you can always talk to me. is everything ok?_**

****

Aloth sent a reply quickly: **_Thank you. Everything is fine, I just need some advice and I trust your judgement._**

****

That made Brianna feel a bit better. If it was something serious, she trusted Aloth would have asked her for help sooner. She put her phone away and tuned in to the conversation Maia, Xoti, and Pallegina were having.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The stars were out in full force and Aloth was pleasantly buzzed on the delicious red wine Pallegina had brought to the beach. He had been listening to Brianna, Xoti, and Tekehu passionately debate the pros and cons of the goose presence on the Defiance Bay campus for the last 20 minutes. Brianna had said she needed something to drink and walked away from the fire. Now seemed like a good time to talk to her privately.

 

She was rooting around in the cooler when Aloth approached her.

 

“Can I help you find something,” he asked, amusement tinging his voice.

 

“I think the water is hiding from me,” Brianna replied, standing up straight.

 

Aloth dug around in the bottom of the cooler for several moments. When he drew his hand back, he clutched a water bottle.

 

“You’re my hero. Seriously,” she said, taking the offered water, “Thank you.”

 

“You’re quite welcome,” Aloth answered, unable to hide a pleased smile, “I was hoping we could speak now, if you aren’t busy.”

 

Brianna paused from taking a sip from the bottle. “No, I’m not busy. Let’s walk closer to the water, give us some privacy.”

 

Aloth followed her past the bonfire, past their gathered friends, down to the water. The Bay was beautiful this time of year, not too hot and not too cold. Aloth breathed in the crisp air.

 

Brianna stopped at the edge of the water and turned to face him. “What’s up, Aloth?”

 

Aloth took a breath and gathered his thoughts. “I’ve been talking to Marcella about…what to do. About Iselmyr.”

 

He could feel Iselmyr bristle with anxiety at the mention of her future. He could hardly blame her, but he ignored her discomfort for the moment.

 

Brianna nodded to indicate she was listening.

 

“Awakenings are permanent. There’s no getting rid of Iselmyr. So I need to learn to live with her. The question is, what’s the best way to manage her,” Aloth continued, “Up until now, I haven’t really dealt with her.”

 

“Okay,” Brianna said slowly, “What are your options?”

 

“Talking with Marcella, I’ve narrowed it down to two: either I learn to accept Iselmyr, or I ignore her,” Aloth said.

 

Brianna furrowed her brow. “Would that even work? Ignoring her I mean.”

 

Aloth sighed. “I don’t know. Marcella said she’s seen people do it successfully, locking away the Awakened soul so it doesn’t bother them. But there’s a chance it won’t work.”

 

Brianna looked thoughtful. She shifted her gaze to look out at the bay. When she returned her gaze to Aloth, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

 

“I guess…if you don’t mind talking about it, I’d need more information about Iselmyr before I could really say what I would do in your situation,” Brianna said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

 

Aloth clasped his hands in front of him.

 

“My childhood was…not a happy one. My mother was the breadwinner, so to speak. She was often away on business. My father…” Aloth couldn’t will himself to get the words out.

 

He looked at Brianna. He watched as the light breeze rustled her clothes and her hair. He saw the gentle concern in her eyes.

 

Eventually, the words came. He told her everything. What his father did to him, what his mother failed to do. How is Awakening played out. How Iselmyr left his father in the hospital for a week.

 

When he finished, he took a deep breath. It had been years since he told anyone the whole story. It had been years since he had _wanted_ to tell anyone the whole story. But he trusted Brianna.

 

Brianna hesitated before slowly stepping towards him and gently wrapping her arms around him. Aloth went rigid for a moment. She was so clearly giving him an exit, but that was the last thing he wanted right now. After a moment, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her as well, one hand resting between her shoulder blades and the other in the middle of her back.

 

“I’m sorry, Aloth,” she said, voice barely above a whisper, “No one should have to go through that. You didn’t deserve it. Any of it.”

 

Aloth could feel tears welling in his eyes. Several of them fell down his cheeks and into Brianna’s hair.

 

When Aloth pulled away, Brianna let go. Aloth wiped the wetness from his face, feeling embarrassed.

 

“I honestly don’t know what to tell you, Aloth. I can tell you what I would do in your situation, but I feel like this ultimately needs to be your choice,” Brianna said.

 

Aloth nodded.

 

“I…I think I would try to make peace with her. But I understand why you would want to lock her away. I would never judge you for either decision,” Brianna said.

 

Aloth could feel a sense of happiness that belonged to Iselmyr radiate through his chest at Brianna’s words.

 

He looked down at the ground. “Thank you, for your advice. It’s a big decision and one I don’t intend to make lightly.”

 

Aloth felt Brianna’s gentle touch on his arm. He met her gaze.

 

“Hey, if you ever need anything, I’m just a call away,” she told him with a smile.

 

Aloth couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you, Brianna.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Sunday October 28 th, 2018**

 

Brianna, Edér, and Aloth stood in the entry way of an assisted living facility for people with severe soul illnesses. Brianna was already on edge and the anxiety she could feel from Aloth and Edér did little to ease her mind.

 

They were here on orders from Ms. Webb. There was a patient she wanted them to interview. More specifically, she wanted Brianna to poke around in the patient’s head. Supposedly the man’s awakening had been so traumatizing it had left him comatose.

 

They would find out the truth for themselves soon enough.

 

Finally, the woman behind the counter turned her attention to them.

 

“How can I help you?” she asked politely.

 

“We’re here to see Mr. Uscgrim,” Brianna replied.

 

The receptionist checked something on her computer.

 

“Yes, I see, Ms. Webb told us you would be coming,” she pressed a button and the door to the rest of the building opened, “You can step on through. A staff member will show you to Mr. Uscgrim’s room.”

 

“Thank you,” Brianna said.

 

Brianna followed Edér and Aloth through the open door. A middle aged man in scrubs was waiting for them on the other side.

 

“This way,” he said and led them down the hall to the left.

 

After walking for about a minute, the man stopped at a door and opened it.

 

“This is Mr. Uscgrim’s room. I’ll give you all some privacy,” he said, leaving them alone outside the room.

 

Edér walked in first and Aloth moved to follow, but when he saw Brianna hesitate, he moved back out of the room.

 

“Is everything alright?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, just…this is harder than I thought it would be,” Brianna said.

 

Aloth glanced in the room behind him before looking back at her. “We don’t have to do this, you know. We can always leave.”

 

Brianna took a steadying breath. “No, I can do this. I need answers.”

 

Aloth nodded and they both moved into the room. Edér was already standing next to a hospital bed with a young man in it. Uscgrim was unmoving, making no acknowledgement of their presence.

 

“I…I thought he’d be older,” Brianna said quietly.

 

“Me too,” said Edér, “So, do you think you can read him?”

 

Brianna nodded. “Yeah, should be easy.”

 

She looked around and found a chair. She pulled it up next to the bed, sitting down and placing her hand in Uscgrim’s. She closed her eyes and reached out to his mind.

 

As soon as she touched his mind, Brianna knew something was wrong. She _felt_ wrong. There was a presence in Uscgrim’s mind that was not his own. She had never felt anything like it. It was like a parasite had taken up residence in his mind.

Brianna tried to pull away, back into the safety of her own mind, but it was too late. She felt herself tumbling into an abyss of thoughts and memories.

 

She watched as the memory unfolded. Uscgrim was sitting in his bed, on a day just like this one. A female nurse came in to change his IV and the parasitic presence in his mind jumped out of Uscgrim and into the nurse. She struggled for a moment, but the presence was strong and was able to take control of her quickly.

 

The nurse stopped doing her rounds. She left work early. Her coworkers tried to ask her what she was doing, if everything was okay, but she doesn’t stop to talk to them. The presence made her get in her car and led her to a large, nondescript building in a part of town Brianna didn’t recognize.

 

As the nurse walked through the building, Brianna saw stores and stores of luminous adra. Some of it was arranged in strange patterns and there are words written on the walls in a language Brianna doesn’t recognize.

 

Finally, the nurse reached her destination: a room filled with men and women wearing masks and dark robes. _I didn’t think they’d dress like an actual cult_ , Brianna thought. The cultists had formed a circle and the nurse walked into the center of it.

 

One of the cultists withdrew a large, ornate dagger from beneath his robes. Brianna was abruptly drawn further into the past when the weapon struck the nurse in the chest.

 

Now she was standing in a man’s body, but she sensed it doesn’t belong to the presence that was piloting it. He was standing on a stepstool, tampering with a smoke detector. When he stepped down and walked further through the house, Brianna’s heart stopped. _This is my house. My old house in Readceras._

She could smell the presence of gasoline through the man’s nose. He opened the front door and lit a match. He dropped it.

 

Brianna opened her eyes as Uscgrim looked at her.

 

“A cipher,” he said.

 

Brianna violently ripped her hand away from his as she stood, knocking her chair several feet backwards. Aloth quickly moved to her side, offering her a tissue for her nose.

 

“Why? I need to know why,” Brianna said, desperately trying to keep her emotions under control, wiping the blood from her face.

 

Uscgrim regarded her with casual disinterest. “They did much the same as you are doing now. They searched and searched until they learned too much. They were a liability.”

 

Brianna felt hot, angry tears fall onto her cheeks. She could see Edér and Aloth watching the scene unfold with bewildered expressions on their faces, but she couldn’t bring herself to explain what she had just witnessed.

 

“You’re Thaos, aren’t you?” Brianna asked. She didn’t know where the knowledge came from, but as the words came out of her mouth, she could feel the truth to them. There was something…ancient about his mind. A heavy presence she had never before felt.

 

“Yes, I am,” Uscgrim answered, “Not that the information will do you any good.”

 

Suddenly, Uscgrim’s eyes roll back in his head. The monitors surrounding his bed start beeping loudly. Within seconds, nurses rushed into the room and herded Aloth, Brianna, and Edér out into the hallway.

 

“Brianna, what did you see? What happened?” Aloth asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

“He killed them! I saw him!” she managed to get out in between hysterical sobs, “He was there, he set the fire! Thaos killed my parents!”

 

Brianna knew she needed to tell Edér and Aloth the other memory she had seen, but her mind was a whirlwind. She couldn’t focus. Every awful feeling she’d felt when she found out her parents had died came flooding back and was amplified tenfold. Not only were her parents dead, but they had been murdered.

 

Aloth’s solid arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to him. She clutched at his shirt and allowed herself to cry into his shoulder. He didn’t say anything, and for that she was thankful.

 

Brianna pulled away after a few minutes and wiped at her puffy, wet face.

 

At that moment, the nurses came filing out of Uscgrim’s room. One of them approached Brianna.

 

“I’m sorry, but Mr. Uscgrim just passed away,” the nurse informed her.

 

Brianna was numb. She nodded dumbly at the nurse.

 

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you out,” the nurse continued.

 

Brianna, Edér, and Aloth followed the nurse out of the main building and into the entryway. They left the building and piled into Edér’s car. Aloth was in the passenger seat and Brianna was in the back. Edér turned on the radio, keeping the volume low. It was dark outside now. Brianna could see the stars twinkling outside of the car window.

 

“You want me to drop you off first, Brianna?” Edér asked gently.

 

Brianna had been listening to the radio and she could have sworn she heard…

 

“Brianna?” Edér prompted.

 

“Turn up the radio,” Brianna insisted.

 

Aloth turned the radio up to a more audible level. The host was talking about an apartment complex that was on fire in the downtown area. Brianna had gone extremely pale.

 

“Brianna?” Aloth said.

 

“That’s my building. Tekéhu was supposed to be there.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Sunday October 28 th, 2018**

 

Brianna had tried calling Tekéhu nearly 20 times to no avail. She felt like she was going to be sick. The Leaden Key said they would retaliate. She should have taken their threat more seriously.

 

When Edér finally pulled into her street, she could immediately see the lights from the emergency vehicles.

 

“I think I’ll need to park at this end. Don’t think they’re gonna let us get any closer,” Edér told her.

 

“That’s fine, thank you,” she said.

 

As soon as the car was stopped, Brianna unbuckled her seatbelt and bolted out of the door. She sprinted down the sidewalk towards her burning apartment building. She was vaguely aware of footsteps following her.

 

Brianna quickly reached the police tape that had been set up to keep people a safe distance away from the fire. She stopped, breathing heavily, and looked around desperately for Tekéhu. Aloth came to a stop next to her a few moments later.

 

“Do you see him anywhere?” Brianna asked.

 

Aloth helped her scan the area. After several moments, he pointed towards one of the ambulances behind the police tape. He was right; there was Tekéhu, sitting in the back of an ambulance holding Cosmo to his chest.

 

Brianna glanced around. When she saw no police officers looking her way, she darted under the police tape and ran to Tekéhu. About halfway to the ambulance she could hear someone yell at her to stop, but she paid them no mind. Tekéhu spotted her as she got closer and stood.

 

Up close, she could see that Tekéhu had several minor burns. He was also covered in soot. Tekéhu moved Cosmo to one arm as Brianna ran to hug him. She barely came up to his shoulders, but she wrapped her arms more tightly around him than she ever had. He placed his hand on the back of her head. Brianna could feel Cosmo lean forward to sniff her ear through her hair and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her mouth.

 

She pulled back, but placed her arms on his shoulders.

 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said, “When we heard about the fire, I thought…”

 

“I am fine, the EMTs have been taking good care of me and Cosmo,” he said, handing the cat over to Brianna.

 

“Speaking of, did you perform a daring rescue to save my cat?” Brianna asked.

 

Tekéhu sat back down on the edge of the ambulance. Now that Brianna had a good view of his face, she could tell he was exhausted.

 

“When the fire alarm went off, I went to your room to make sure Cosmo would be okay,” Tekéhu explained, “The handle to your apartment was very hot. I couldn’t just leave Cosmo there. So I broke down the door and saw that your living room was on fire. I checked all of Cosmo’s favorite hiding spots and found him under your bed.”

 

Brianna clutched Cosmo to her chest as tears came spilling onto her cheeks.

 

“I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you,” she told Tekéhu.

 

“Ekera, I know you would do the same for me,” he replied smiling.

 

Brianna waited with Tekéhu until the EMTs released him. They moved back to where Aloth was standing and she saw that Edér was with him.

 

“Is everyone okay?” Edér asked.

 

“Yes, Cosmo and I are both well. They are having trouble putting the fire out, but everyone got out of the building safely,” Tekéhu confirmed.

 

“Good, that’s what’s most important. Now, let’s work on finding you two a place to sleep tonight,” Edér said.

 

Edér, Brianna, and Tekéhu moved to walk back to Edér’s car, but Aloth stood still.

 

“Brianna, wait,” Aloth said, “I need to tell you something.”

 

“Right now?” Brianna asked.

 

“Yes. I’m afraid I’ve already waited too long,” he said. She could see something akin to regret in his eyes. She could feel her heart beat faster.

 

Brianna turned and handed Cosmo to Tekéhu before closing the distance between her and Aloth.

 

“Okay, you have my attention. What’s going on?” she asked.

 

The fire from her apartment building lit half of his face in an orange glow. The other half was shrouded in darkness.

 

“I have…not been entirely honest with you, “Aloth began, “When I was a teenager, still living in Aedyr, I was introduced to an organization. I didn’t know much about them, but they promised me postings far away from my father and that they could help me with Iselmyr. That was enough at the time.”

 

“For several years, I thought of them as many things. Hooded figures. Prudent teachers,” Aloth paused before he continued, “The Leaden Key.”

 

Brianna felt her heart skip a beat. _No_.

 

“I sincerely believed they wanted to help people, to keep kith from the folly of their own foolish ambitions. They sent me to the Dyrwood a little over six years ago. My orders were to gather information on locations of Engwithan ruins. I would meet with a senior member of the order every few months. She sent me to Gilded Vale, but I lost track of her shortly after arriving. I don’t know if she was reassigned or killed or worse. By the time I met Edér, I had been on my own for several months.”

 

Brianna covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Aloth, a member of The Leaden Key. _It seems the gods do have a sense of humor._

She uncovered her face to see Aloth looking at her with the same regretful expression.

 

“Why are you telling me this now?” she asked, trying to keep the hysteria she could feel rising in her out of her voice.

 

Aloth took a deep breath. “Because I know now that I was wrong to trust them. Whatever they showed me, whatever they told me, they did to get me to go along with their plans,” he said with conviction, “The truth that you’ve uncovered about them, murder and arson…I know now that I followed the wrong master. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth sooner. Please accept my apology and my service. If you’ll have me, I want to work with you to get to the bottom of this.”

 

Brianna took a step closer to Aloth and held her hand out to him, palm up. An invitation.

 

Cautiously, Aloth reached his hand out to clasp it in hers.

 

“I forgive you, Aloth,” Brianna said, quietly enough so that only he could hear her, “But I’m not asking you to trade one master for another. I want you beside me, not behind me. I want us to be equals.”

 

Aloth looked at her like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. He blinked a few times before he said solemnly, “That would be an honor.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the time in between updates, things have been busy irl and I've also had a bit of writer's block. I'm hoping to get back on schedule with more regular updates from here on out.

**Thursday November 1 st, 2018**

 

November had arrived with a vengeance in Defiance Bay, and Brianna and Xoti had been able to snag a place by the fireplace inside Caed Nua Coffee. Aloth looked over at them from where he stood behind the counter making drinks next to Edér. Brianna was hard at work making up assignments; she had been able to get extensions from her teachers after she explained what happened to her apartment, but that still left a lot of homework and papers to do.

 

They were also planning on going out of town for the weekend to a cabin in Stalwart, at Edér’s invitation. That meant Brianna had to get her work done now before they left tomorrow afternoon.

 

Occasionally, when Aloth glanced over at her, Brianna would be looking at him. She would give him a smile, complete with the dimples he adored so much. He almost forgot to smile back.

 

The second time this happened, Edér cleared his throat.

 

“You know, Aloth, I’m not the quickest to catch on, but I’ve seen the way you and Brianna look at each other…is there something goin’ on that you’re not telling me?” Edér asked.

 

Aloth suddenly became very interested in the caramel macchiato he was making.

 

“No, there’s nothing ‘going on,’” Aloth lied, “We’re just…very good friends.” At least that part was true. Brianna had quickly become a very dear friend, but Aloth wasn’t quite ready to admit that he also had romantic feelings for her to anyone other than his therapist.

 

“Yeah, I can see that. Well, if you do like her and you just don’t wanna tell me, you should let her know. I think she likes you back,” Edér said, stepping around Aloth to place a finished latte on the counter.

 

Aloth suddenly felt incredibly transparent. Edér knew him better than most people, Aloth should have known he couldn’t lie to him about something so obvious.

 

But could Brianna really reciprocate his feelings? When they had first met, she seemed…out of his league. But as they had gotten to know each other, he had been pleasantly surprised to see how personable she was. How _real_ she was. It made him like her even more.

 

Aloth hadn’t allowed himself to consider romance as a possibility for a long time, with Iselmyr in the picture. But soon, theoretically, that wouldn’t be an issue.

 

He glanced over at Brianna who was biting her bottom lip as she typed something on her laptop. Aloth couldn’t help the fond smile that found its way to his face. _Perhaps Edér was right_ , he thought.

 

* * *

 

 

**Friday November 2 nd, 2018**

 

Snow was falling gently outside the cabin that Edér had rented for them, but inside the fire kept everyone nice and warm. Edér, Aloth, Maia, Xoti, Pallegina, Tekéhu, and Brianna were all gathered at the cabin for the weekend. They had just finished playing Card Against Humanity and Xoti had soundly kicked everyone’s asses. Brianna hadn’t felt so surrounded by love and warmth in a long time.

 

As people were dispersing to get more drinks, Aloth approached her.

 

“May I steal a minute of your time, Brianna?” he asked, polite as always.

 

“Of course,” Brianna replied.

 

He led her out of the main living room and into the entry way where they wouldn’t be overheard. Brianna could tell he was anxious; he was clasping and unclasping his hands. She waited patiently for him to begin.

 

“I have…I have decided to accept Iselmyr. It’s an ongoing process, not something that happens overnight, but I’ve already seen an improvement in her behavior,” Aloth explained.

 

Brianna smiled, “That’s great, Aloth. What’s it like?”

 

“Now that I’m not fighting her, she’s not fighting me,” Aloth said, finally seeming to relax, leaving his hands at his sides, “She’s having fewer outbursts. It’s…quite a relief. I can’t thank you enough for recommending Marcella. She’s been a great help. She helped me realize I spent most of my life looking for others to solve the Iselmyr problem for me.”

 

Aloth glanced down and then back up at Brianna. “The truth is that the answer was in me all along,” he said quietly.

 

Brianna couldn’t help the swell of pride that ballooned in her chest.

 

“Aloth, this is great. I’m really proud of you,” she said.

 

She felt her heart rate increase at the sight of the blush in Aloth’s cheeks and ears. _He doesn’t even realize what he does to me,_ she thought.

 

“There was one more thing I wanted to say,” Aloth said, looking slightly anxious again, “I know things have been difficult for you, with The Leaden Key. I can’t imagine the weight of the burden of investigating your parents’ murder. And yet you’ve borne it remarkably.”

 

Brianna shrugged. “It’s not really like I have a choice,” she replied.

 

“But you do,” Aloth said, his face lighting up with emotion, “The position you’re in gives you incredible influence.”

 

Aloth paused for a moment, considering his words.

 

“I’ve known you to be a person of rare kindness,” Aloth continued, causing Brianna to smile bashfully, “As well as principled, thoughtful, and deliberate. You obviously don’t take your responsibilities lightly.”

 

Brianna couldn’t help the wave of emotion that washed over her at his words. _He clearly thinks highly of me and he’s clearly been paying attention._

“I just try to do right by people and help them when I can,” Brianna said, “It’s not always that simple, but usually it is.”

 

Aloth nodded at her words. “If only more people thought as you do. I simply wanted to say that I appreciate how you do things.”

 

Brianna allowed herself a small smile. “Thank you, Aloth. That means a lot to me,” she replied.


	15. Chapter 15

**Wednesday November 7 th, 2018**

 

Brianna glanced down at her phone as it began vibrating. She gave a sigh when she saw the name on the screen. She swiped her finger across the screen to answer it.

 

“What can I do for you, Ms. Webb?” Brianna asked.

 

“Straight to business, I see,” Ms. Webb said.

 

“I’m in the middle of writing a paper so I don’t have time for the usual pleasantries I know you love so much.”

 

There was a pause and Brianna could practically hear the smirk on Ms. Webb’s face.

 

“Very well. It has come to my attention that you will be attending a fundraiser for the Naasitaq Humane Society this weekend. There’s a guest I need you to get on our side,” Ms. Webb informed.

 

Brianna frowned. “Is he currently working for Thaos?”

 

“I’m not sure. At this point, I believe he is a neutral agent. His name his Serafen. You won’t be able to miss him; he’s a wild orlan, blue in color, and he swears like a sailor,” Ms. Webb paused and Brianna heard her shuffle some papers around, “He would be a considerable asset to us for a number of reasons, not all of which I am prepared to share. He’s been invited to the Humane Society event because he’s one of their top donors. However, he’s also quite influential in the city government.”

 

“How exactly does Serafen acquire his wealth?” Brianna asked.

 

“He’s a gambler,” Ms. Webb replied shortly.

 

Brianna thought for a moment. “Lots of people gamble. What makes Serafen so successful?”

 

Brianna could hear the smile in Ms. Webb’s voice when she answered, “You’ll find out soon enough. Do try to have a good time, dear.”

 

With that, Ms. Webb was gone.

 

Brianna looked at the half-finished essay on her computer screen and then at her phone. Deciding to finish the paper later, she called Aloth.

 

The phone rang so many times that she expected it to go to voicemail but Aloth picked up at the last second.

 

“Hello?” Aloth answered.

 

“Hey, is this a bad time?”

 

“No, not at all,” Aloth said, “I just got off work.”

 

Brianna got up from her desk and moved to her couch. They chatted about how things had been at Caed Nua Coffee for a bit.

 

“But you didn’t call just to talk about work, did you?” Aloth asked.

 

Brianna sighed. “Unfortunately, no. Are you familiar with an orlan named Serafen?”

 

She could hear the surprise in Aloth’s voice when he answered. “Yes, though I’ve only met him once. He’s a major donor to the Naasitaq Humane Society. There were a few years the place would have had to close down if not for his generous donations. In person he’s…somewhat crass.” Brianna imagined Aloth’s nose wrinkling at his last words and stifled a giggle.

 

“Why do you ask?” Aloth questioned.

 

Brianna related Ms. Webb’s instructions to Aloth.

 

“I’d like to keep this between us for now, until we know more about Serafen,” Brianna said.

 

“As you wish,” Aloth replied, “I’m interested to find out what his gambling edge is.”

 

“Me too,” Brianna agreed, furrowing her eyebrows, “You don’t think…you don’t think he could be a cipher, do you? It almost seems too obvious.”

 

Aloth thought for a moment. “It’s definitely a possibility, though I find it hard to believe that so many government officials would turn a blind eye to such an influential political donor being a cipher.”

 

Brianna nodded to herself. “I guess we’ll find out on Saturday.”

 

“Have you picked out an outfit for the event?” Aloth asked.

 

“I have a few dresses in mind…” Brianna answered coyly, “You’ll just have to wait until I show up on Saturday.”

 

Aloth chuckled. “I’m looking forward to it, Brianna,” Aloth said and Brianna loved hearing the smile in his voice.


	16. Chapter 16

**Saturday November 10 th, 2018**

 

Brianna looked…breathtaking. She was wearing a sequined, emerald dress that ended at her knees. Her hair was up in an elegant, braided knot with wavy tendrils framing her face. Aloth felt inadequate in his white dress shirt and black slacks.

 

They were at the event hall early with most of their friends helping to set up for the Humane Society fundraiser. Aloth had his sleeves rolled up and he thought he caught Brianna glancing at his forearms several times, but maybe it was just his imagination.

 

Most of the set-up had been completed already by the event staff at the venue, but Sagani had requested help with a few things. Pallegina and Edér were setting up several of the heavier items such as the photo backdrop. Brianna and Aloth were tasked with making sure each silent auction item had the correct item number attached to it. Xoti and Maia were putting the finishing touches on the center pieces on all of the tables.

 

“Have you planned what you’re going to say to Serafen?” Aloth asked Brianna as they made their way through the silent auction items on the edge of the large room.

 

“Oh, you know,” Brianna replied airily as she affixed a numbered placard to an expensive looking dog bowl, “I thought I’d just wing it.”

 

When Aloth didn’t immediately reply, Brianna glanced over at him and he raised an eyebrow at her, clearly unamused.

 

“I’m _kidding_ ,” she emphasized, “I have a plan…I just need to get a read on him before I can decide on how best to, you know, sway him to our cause.”

 

Brianna turned back to the basket filled with chocolate she was affixing a number to. “Also, a little help from my favorite elf couldn’t hurt,” she added.

 

Aloth was grateful she wasn’t looking at him as he felt a blush creep up his ears.

 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, unable to keep the pleased smile off his face.

 

When the two of them were done with the silent auction items, they returned to the center of the room where Pallegina, Edér, Maia, and Xoti were congregated.

 

“Oh, finally! We’ve been waiting for you!” Xoti exclaimed, “Come on, we need to take a picture of all of us before the guests arrive.”

 

The six friends made their way to the photo backdrop in the main hall. Aloth took a position in between Pallegina and Brianna. Trying not to overthink the action, he gently placed his hand on the curve of Brianna’s waist. However, he wasn’t prepared for Brianna placing her hand on the small of his back and his heart did a tiny backflip.

 

Afterwards, when they had dispersed, Aloth pulled Brianna aside.

 

“You look beautiful tonight, Brianna,” he said.

 

Brianna beamed at him, complete with the dimples he adored so much.

 

“You look beautiful, too,” she replied.

 

* * *

 

The fundraiser was in full swing and Brianna and Aloth were weaving through the crowd looking for Serafen. Finding the bright blue orlan was harder than Brianna had anticipated, especially since he wasn’t at his assigned table.

 

After several unsuccessful trips across the large room, they spotted Edér in line at the bar. The two approached him and asked if he had seen Serafen.

 

“Serafen? Why’re you lookin’ for him?” Edér asked, brow furrowed.

 

“It’s for Ms. Webb, I’ll explain later. Do you know where he is?” Brianna replied.

 

Edér sighed. “Here, follow me. You owe me a drink after this, alright?”

 

Brianna nodded.

 

Edér led them out into the main hallway, past the photo backdrop, to the far end of the building. He stopped in front of a nondescript door.

 

“If you can’t find Serafen in the main room, best bet is he’s in here,” Edér explained.

 

“What is this?” Aloth asked.

 

“It’s where Serafen does his business. I assume you two know what that business is, since you wanna find him so bad,” Edér said, turning to leave, “I hope you two know what you’re doing.”

 

“Thank you, Edér,” Brianna called after him.

 

Brianna held Aloth’s gaze for a long moment before squaring her shoulders and opening the door. Beyond the threshold was a long, rectangular room. At the far end was Serafen, seated at an ornate wood desk. He had several large, human bodyguards standing at points around the room. The chairs around the desk were plush and beautiful. Other than the desk and the chairs, the room was bare. _Did he bring the furniture himself?_ Brianna wondered.

 

Seated opposite Serafen was a woman in a floor-length dress. She was speaking too quietly for Brianna to hear. As Brianna and Aloth entered the room, a bodyguard approached them and motioned for them to stop.

 

“Please wait by the door. Serafen will be with you shortly,” the bodyguard said.

 

Brianna nodded and then turned her attention back to Serafen. Now was a good time to get a read on him. She closed her eyes and gently reached into his mind-

 

Suddenly she was flooded with sensations that were not her own, but were not Serafen’s either. She was experiencing a memory, but it was clearly not that of an orlan’s. The memories belonged to an elven woman. She was being wrongfully evicted from her home. She was begging bankers, politicians, anyone to please, _please_ help her-

 

Brianna snapped back to reality. She looked at Serafen. Serafen was looking at her. Her nose was bleeding. _Shit._

 

Cipher.


	17. Chapter 17

**Saturday November 10 th, 2018**

 

Aloth silently handed her a tissue. She quietly thanked him and wiped the blood from her face. When she looked back at Serafen, he had returned to his conversation with the woman seated in front of him.

 

The woman stood and shook Serafen’s hand. Brianna and Aloth moved out of the way of the door. As the woman walked by, Brianna caught sight of her face and saw it was the elven woman from the memories she had seen in Serafen’s head.

 

“Thank you kindly for waitin’. Come on up now, if you’re so inclined,” Serafen greeted them.

 

Brianna and Aloth approached Serafen and sat down opposite him at the desk.

 

“Who might you two be? You’re not on my schedule,” Serafen asked in a friendly manner.

 

_Oh, so we’re pretending we don’t know we’re both ciphers,_ Brianna thought, _I wonder how long that’ll last._

“I’m Brianna and this is my friend Aloth,” Brianna replied.

 

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Serafen smiled, “I assume you know who I am, or you wouldn’t be here.”

 

Brianna saw an opportunity. “Actually, I’m not clear on your line of work. I hear you’re a gambler, a donor, and an influencer, but you sound more like a sailor than any of those things.”

 

Serafen grinned wickedly. “You be entirely correct, lass. I am a pirate. Gambling and influencing politics, it be no different than piracy. But the real question,” Serafen said, leaning back in his chair, “Is what do you need from me?”

 

Brianna thought about the woman who had just left _. If I play this right_ , Brianna thought, _I just might be able to get Serafen on our side._

“The truth is, we need your help. _I_ need your help,” Brianna said, making it sound like a confession.

 

Serafen nodded at her to continue.

 

“There’s a group of people, working in the shadows, hunting me and my friends. They killed my parents in Readceras, made it look like an accident. They’re killing people here, now, in Defiance Bay. And they’re hoarding luminous adra, but not for profit,” Brianna explained.

 

Brianna took a deep breath. “They don’t care who they kill. They set my apartment building on fire just to send a message.”

 

Serafen leaned forward on his desk. “Let’s say I believe you. Don’t see where I come in.”

 

“We’re working with the recluse, Ms. Webb. She needs your help. Contact her. With your abilities, friends, and money, we stand a better chance of winning against this cult,” Brianna said.

 

Serafen steepled his fingers.

 

Aloth leaned forward in his seat. “If you don’t believe her, you could simply read her thoughts,” he suggested.

 

Brianna felt pride bloom in her chest. Of course Aloth knew what had happened, he was always on top of things.

 

“Oi, unlike some people, I don’t _never_ dig into another cipher’s mind without permission,” Serafen replied with feigned haughtiness.

 

“To be fair, I didn’t know you were a cipher when I did it,” Brianna said, glad the pretense was done with.

 

Serafen held her gaze for a moment. “Well, lass, do I have permission?”

 

Brianna nodded. It had been a long time since it had been someone digging in her head instead of the other way around, but she was willing to go along if that’s what it took.

 

Brianna barely noticed when Serafen slipped his way into her mind. _He’s good at this_ , she thought, _too good_. His presence reminded her of her time sailing with Tekéhu near Neketaka. _Maybe Serafen really was a pirate._ He was gentle as he sifted through her thoughts and memories, looking for the ones related to The Leaden Key. Before she knew it, he had slipped out as quietly as he had entered.

 

“Well I’ll be damned,” Serafen muttered, “You be telling the truth. You have my sympathies.”

 

“Thank you,” Brianna replied. “Do we also have your help?”

 

Serafen looked contemplative for a moment. “I’ve had a few…run-ins with your Ms. Webb in the past. I’ll get in touch with her, see what she needs. Ain’t making no promises, mind. But I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Brianna let out a quiet breath. “Thank you, Serafen. We appreciate it.”

 

Serafen nodded as Brianna and Aloth stood to leave. As they neared the door, Serafen called, “Oi, tell that Edér not to let anyone else know where my office is. He knows I work by appointment only!”


	18. Chapter 18

**Tuesday, November 21 st, 2018**

 

Brianna sat in an armchair next to the fireplace at Caed Nua Coffee, glad for the warmth from both the hearth and the coffee in her hands. Snow was falling gently outside and she wasn’t looking forward to the walk to Aloth’s apartment after his shift ended. Her heart fluttered at the thought of being alone with Aloth. _As if we’ve never been alone before_ , she thought. Still, she was excited.

 

Brianna glanced over at the counter and saw Aloth working at the register. He was too busy to notice her staring, so she took the opportunity to admire how nice his hair looked up in a ponytail. Her eyes shifted to the left and she saw Edér raising his eyebrows suggestively. _Great_. She’d been caught staring.

 

She narrowed her eyes at him and minutely shook her head. She saw rather than heard Edér chuckle. Looking away, she took a sip of her almost gone coffee. Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her. She picked it up and checked the lock screen. It was from Tekéhu: **_if things get spicy tonight, don’t forget to use protection!_**

 

This friendly reminder was followed by several winky emojis and an eggplant. Brianna huffed and rolled her eyes. She texted back: **_thanks dad._**

 

“Is everything alright?” Aloth asked.

 

Brianna threw her phone in her purse at lightning speed. Aloth’s shift must have ended while she was distracted. His hair was down in its usual style and he had exchanged his apron for his winter coat.

 

“Yeah, I was just letting Tekéhu know I would be home late,” Brianna said, a small lie to save her from serious embarrassment. The two of them were sharing a two bedroom apartment now. Tekéhu was a good roommate, most of the time. The only drawback was not knowing when he was going to be bringing someone home.

 

Aloth hummed in acknowledgement. “Are you ready to go, then?”

 

“Yep, just need to put my coat on,” Brianna replied, standing up.

 

Once she was prepared for the low temperature and snow, the pair made their way outside. They took Aloth’s usual path to his apartment, avoiding The Wild Mare. They made light conversation, Brianna relishing in her ability to make Aloth laugh. Not just that light chuckle he did with others, but that _real_ laugh of his.

 

About halfway to his apartment, Aloth paused for a moment and turned to face Brianna. It was dark out, but the street lamps illuminated both of their faces and cast an almost angelic glow around Aloth’s head.

 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to say, Brianna,” Aloth started, nervously shifting his weight, “For the first time in my life, I feel certain of what I’m doing. With you, I mean. Hunting The Leaden Key. It feels good to have a purpose. One that I know is just.”

 

Brianna felt a warmth pool in her chest at his words. Aloth hesitated and she nodded for him to continue when he was ready.

 

“I am so rarely sure of anything, least of all something on this grand of a scale. Yet, you rarely seem uncertain. And when you are uncertain, it’s because you care about the outcomes of your actions,” Aloth held Brianna’s gaze, “I admire that.”

 

For once, it was Brianna’s turn to blush.

 

“I mean, it’s like I said before,” Brianna said, “I just try to do the right thing.”

 

“That’s precisely what I mean,” Aloth said, clasping his bare hands together. Brianna thought about grasping his hands in her own, but quickly stored that thought away.

 

“I don’t know that I could trust myself with the decisions you’re making,” Aloth continued.

 

Brianna shook her head. “You give yourself too little credit,” she countered, “You’re more than capable of handling something like this.”

 

Aloth smiled ruefully. “Whatever my faults, a lack of self-awareness is not among them. Perhaps what I mean to say is, if we must hunt The Leaden Key, then I’m glad you’re on our side.”

 

“And I’m glad you’re at mine,” Brianna replied earnestly.

 

 Aloth’s mouth twitched with poorly concealed pleasure. “That means a lot. Thank you,” he said.

 

_I should kiss him_ , Brianna thought. _I could kiss him. Right now_. Brianna glanced at the wall behind Aloth for a moment and realized they were in the same spot as the night they met.

_Fuck it_.

 

Brianna brought her hands to cup Aloth’s face as she stepped into his personal space. She gently pressed her lips to his. She could feel his surprise. At first, it seemed he was frozen. But then, he returned the kiss.

 

Slowly, but insistently, Brianna and Aloth kissed. Aloth brought one hand to rest on the hollow between Brianna’s shoulder blades and the other gently held the back of her head. He embraced her as if he was afraid to hold too tightly.

 

When they parted for air, they stayed close to each other for a moment, their breath mingling in the shared space. Brianna couldn’t help the grin that pulled at her mouth. When they both pulled away, she saw that Aloth, too, was smiling. His eyes were large and full of questions.

 

“Well that was…unexpected. But not unwelcome,” Aloth said.

 

“Was it too much?” Brianna asked.

 

“No!” he said quickly, “not at all.”

 

“Maybe we should go back to your apartment and talk about it?” Brianna suggested, “About us?”

 

Aloth’s smile returned in full force. “I would like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to get considerably more...spicy from here on out. The rating will be changed accordingly.


	19. Chapter 19

**Tuesday, November 21 st, 2018**

 

Brianna was trying to wait patiently, she really was. But the truth was she wanted nothing more than to tangle her hands in Aloth’s hair and kiss him until they were both gasping for air. Certainly they had both waited long enough.

 

Instead of rushing into the kitchen to do just that, she took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. _Talk,_ she thought, _we need to talk. About us. Before any more kissing happens._

 

Just then, Aloth moved into the living room where Brianna was seated on the couch. He carried two glasses of water and she thanked him as he handed her one. Aloth sat next to her on the couch, close enough so that their legs touched.

 

Aloth began fidgeting with his hands. With only a moment’s hesitation, Brianna reached out and gently took his slightly larger hands in her own.

 

She looked up at him to make sure she hadn’t crossed a line to find him smiling, looking down at their entwined hands. Brianna couldn’t help the smile that crossed her features in return.

 

Aloth took a steadying breath before he began.

 

“I’ve always been solitary by nature. It wasn’t until I met Edér and moved with him to Defiance Bay that I truly had friends. It’s been a relief to let my guard down with you, though,” Aloth said.

 

His lips puckered into a thoughtful frown as he continued to study their still tangled hands.

 

“I’ve spent most of my life hiding parts of myself, especially my Awakening and Iselmyr, from those who tried to get to know me. And having lived with Iselmyr for so long, I’ve come to value privacy. The space to think and reflect in solitude,” Aloth continued.

 

Aloth finally brought his eyes up to meet Brianna’s.

 

“What I mean to say with all of this is that I don’t want to deceive you about who I am. I care for you. I care for you a great deal,” Aloth confessed, his ears turning red, “But I need you to understand who I am. There will be times I will want to be alone, to recharge on my own. That doesn’t mean I care about you any less. And sometimes, things with Iselmyr will be difficult. It has improved greatly with help from Marcella, but Iselmyr can still lash out from time to time.”

 

Aloth was quiet for several moments and Brianna waited to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, she took some time of her own to think of the proper words to convey her feelings.

Truthfully, she was in awe of what Aloth had just shared with her. He had put himself out there, for her to accept or reject at her whim. The way he looked at her…he was so vulnerable in this moment. _I have to choose my words carefully._

 

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Brianna said, with a small smile. Aloth’s ears reddened again as he smiled back.

 

“I care about you, too, Aloth. A lot. And that means that I want to be with you as you are. I don’t want some idealized version of you, I want the real deal. _You_ ,” she continued, squeezing his hands for emphasis, “and everything that comes with you.”

 

It was Brianna’s turn to look down at their hands. “Sometimes…I get really moody. I’m on meds for depression and anxiety and they help, but there’s the occasional day where I just can’t find the energy to get out of bed and brush my teeth, or I’m on edge and take everything as a personal slight. And I still cry about my parents. Like every week-“

 

Aloth squeezed her hands gently and she paused to take a breath.

 

“I just…I have my issues, too. Don’t worry.”

 

Brianna looked back up at Aloth who was gazing hopefully at her.

  
“So…you wanna make this official?” she asked with a grin.

 

Aloth chuckled. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Brianna?” he teased.

 

Brianna leaned in to ghost her lips over Aloth’s before answering.

 

“I believe I am, Corfiser,” she replied.

 

Brianna didn’t know if it was the teasing or the use of his last name that did it, but suddenly Aloth’s hand was on her neck and his lips were on hers. Not that she was complaining. She felt his other hand come to rest at her waist. Brianna let her hands lay gently on the expanse of his chest as they continued to kiss. _He’s good at this._ She briefly wondered what kind of experience he’d had, then decided that was a conversation for a later date.

 

Smiling into the kiss, Brianna increased the pressure on Aloth’s chest and guided him to lay down on the couch. They parted for a moment to better position themselves, but were soon kissing again. One of Aloth’s hands softly wound into Brianna’s hair and she sighed into the kiss at the light pressure. She used her own hands to angle his head to the right to give her better access to his neck and she began leaving kisses all the way down the exposed skin. Brianna savored the breathy sighs coming from Aloth.

 

Then she realized she could feel his cock straining against his jeans, hitting her crotch. It was extremely hot, but she wasn’t ready to have sex with him and she didn’t think Aloth was ready to have sex with her.

 

Leaving his neck, Brianna moved away so she could look Aloth in the eye.

 

“Just so we’re on the same page here, I’m not planning on having sex tonight,” Brianna said, slightly embarrassed at her own directness, “so if you need me to stop, let me know now.”

 

Aloth, who was already flushed from their activities, turned a slightly darker shade of red.

 

“I’m not planning on having sex tonight, either. But I was thoroughly enjoying the kissing. I would like to continue if you would,” Aloth answered, voice wavering slightly at the beginning, but getting bolder as he continued.

 

Brianna grinned before bringing her lips to meet Aloth’s once again. She felt his tongue brush against her lips almost immediately and felt a thrill run up her spine. She opened her lips to let him in. As their tongues began intermingling, he let her set the pace and it became a sensual give and take between them.

 

Brianna felt Aloth’s hands squeezing her thighs and she couldn’t help the small moan that escaped her. It wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know how sensitive her thighs were. But in that moment, she vowed to make him moan, too.

 

She slowly ground her hips up his cock through his pants, drawing a low groan out of throat.

 

Aloth narrowed his eyes and grinned devilishly at her. “Oh, we’re playing dirty, are we?”

 

Brianna’s only response was to smile back and kiss him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Monday, December 10 th 2018**

 

Brianna fished her phone out of her coat pocket when she felt it vibrate. Looking at the screen, she frowned slightly when she saw it was a number she didn’t recognize. Hesitantly, she answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Ahoy, lass. It’s been a while, you miss me yet?” the cheeky, unmistakable voice of Serafen filtered through her phone.

 

Brianna chuckled. “Of course I miss you, Serafen. Everyone loves a pirate,” she replied as she made her way to the student center on campus. “Although, I almost didn’t answer the phone. I don’t usually answer when I don’t know the number.”

 

“Aye, it’s a good thing you did answer. I’ve news for you,” Serafen said. Brianna could hear him shuffling papers in the background.

 

“Good news, I hope,” Brianna said as she shrugged off her coat and sat in one of the arm chairs in the main lobby.

 

She could hear the wolfish grin in his voice when he answered. “Only the best for you, lass. I’ve got you a meeting with the Chief of police.”

 

Brianna’s eyes went wide. She and Ms. Webb had discussed a meeting with someone in the Defiance Bay Police Department, but Brianna had never imagined to get someone so prestigious. _This could be exactly what we need,_ she thought.

 

“I…Serafen, thank you,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion, “This is more than I could have ever asked for.”

 

“You be entirely welcome,” Serafen replied easily, “Now, you got a pen ready? I need to relay you the details.”

 

Brianna quickly got out her planner and wrote down the time and date for the meeting. After they said their goodbyes, she made sure to save Serafen’s number in her phone. His contact name was “Pirate” with a parrot emoji. _Perfect._

 

* * *

 

Brianna removed her gloves as she approached the counter at Caed Nua Coffee. There was a short line, but she wasn’t in a hurry since her classes were over for the day. She knew Aloth was working, but looking behind the register, she saw the sandy blonde hair that could only belong to Edér. _Aloth must be making drinks_ , she thought.

 

When it was finally her turn, Brianna stepped up to the register. Edér smiled warmly at her.

 

“Good to see you, Brianna,” Edér greeted her, “You want your usual?”

 

“Actually, I’ll have a medium peppermint mocha,” Brianna replied, taking her wallet out of her purse.

 

Edér raised an eyebrow as he wrote her order on a cup. “I can’t believe this. What’s got you changin’ your order on me?” he questioned.

 

“Oh, you know, it’s December. Thought I’d branch out a little, try a holiday drink,” Brianna said, waving her hand, “And Xoti assures me the peppermint mocha is just as sweet as my vanilla latte.”

 

Edér chuckled. As a man who took his coffee black, the idea of a sweet, sugary drink was alien to him.

 

“Alright, one medium peppermint mocha coming right up.”

 

Brianna paid and made her way to the end of the bar where she knew Aloth would be. Her heart did a little backflip when she caught sight of him. The idea that he felt he same way she did still made her feel lightheaded at times. Aloth looked up and caught her eye, smiling that secret smile of his.

 

“Hello, Brianna,” he greeted her as he made her drink.

 

“Hey,” she breathed.

 

“I see Xoti finally convinced you to try the peppermint mocha,” Aloth observed, amused.

 

Brianna sighed heavily, feigning weariness. “What can I say, she’s persistent. She broke me down.”

 

Aloth placed a lid on her drink and handed it to her. His skin was warm where their fingers met, their hands lingering a few moments before Brianna pulled away.

 

Aloth cleared his throat. “Do you have some time? My break is in five minutes and there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” he said.

 

“Yeah, I don’t need to be anywhere,” Brianna replied, “I’ll grab a table.”

 

Aloth nodded. “I’ll join you soon.”

 

Brianna claimed one of the remaining high tables by the front windows. She liked the view of the street. She passed the time people watching and drinking her coffee. The peppermint mocha was pretty good, but not as good as her beloved vanilla latte.

 

She was broken out of her reverie when Aloth sat down at the table. He looked slightly nervous.

 

“Is everything alright, Aloth?” Brianna asked, her brow knitting together.

 

“I…yes, everything is fine,” Aloth started, but seemed unable or unwilling to continue.

 

Instead, he began fidgeting with his hands on the table. Gently, Brianna took his hands in hers and squeezed.

 

“Hey, whatever it is, I’m here to listen,” she assured him.

 

Aloth squeezed her hands in return before looking up at her.

 

“I received a call from my mother yesterday. We haven’t spoken since I left Aedyr,” Aloth said, “I had sent her my number in case of emergency years ago, but she never called. Until now.”

 

“What did she say?” Brianna prompted.

 

“She told me…that she and my father are divorced now. They have been for several years. She sounded…happy. Happier than she ever was during my childhood,” Aloth answered.

 

Aloth continued, “She also wants to come visit me. After the holidays, thankfully. I don’t know if I could manage seeing her at Christmas.”

 

Brianna felt her heart skip a beat. Meeting the parents. Or parent, as it were. She took a steadying breath.

 

“Do you want to see her?” Brianna asked.

 

Aloth was quiet for several moments as he looked out the window. From the few discussions they had had about Aloth’s childhood and family, Brianna knew his relationship with his mother was a troubled one.

 

When he looked back at her, Aloth’s eyes were filled with uncertainty.

 

“I truly don’t know. I told her I needed to think about it,” Aloth said.

 

Brianna nodded in understanding. “Well, whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

 

Aloth couldn’t help the pleased smile that tugged at his lips.

 

“Speaking of Christmas,” Brianna said, “What do you usually do for the holidays?”

 

“Edér hasn’t told you yet?” Aloth asked.

 

Brianna shook her head. Aloth’s smile widened.


	21. Chapter 21

**Monday, December 24 th 2018**

Making her way carefully up the steps, Brianna approached Edér’s front door. Shifting the bags in her arms, she freed a hand to ring the doorbell. Instantly, she heard the sound of dogs barking. After a few seconds, she heard Edér’s voice, muffled through the door, commanding the dogs to be quiet and the barking stopped.

 

After several more moments, the door swung open and Edér greeted her with his usual warm grin.

 

“Brianna! Come in, you must be freezing,” he said, stepping aside to make room for her in the entryway.

 

“Hey, Edér,” Brianna greeted him as she stepped into the welcome warmth of his home and put her bags down to take her coat off, “Merry Christmas!”

 

“Merry Christmas,” he replied, taking her coat and hanging it up in a hallway closet, “I’m glad you could come.”

 

Brianna felt a tightness in her chest at his words. When she first moved to Defiance Bay, she had envisioned herself spending Christmas alone. When Aloth informed her that Edér made sure none of his friends spent the holiday alone, she had nearly cried. _Quintessential Edér._

 

“I…thank you. For inviting me,” she said haltingly.

 

Before she could overthink the action, Brianna stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Edér’s solid midsection and buried her face in his chest. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. Immediately, his solid tree trunk arms came to rest around her, his hands settling on her back. She breathed in deeply through her nose and smelled spices. _Had he been cooking?_

 

After a moment, she stepped back and smiled shyly at Edér. He smiled back at her before gesturing to her bags on the floor.

 

“You got a present for me in there?” he asked.

 

Brianna clicked her tongue. “For the last time, Edér, I’m not telling you if I’m your Secret Santa. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow,” she chided.

 

Edér put his hands up in a placating gesture. “Alright, alright,” he said, “Tree’s in the living room, first door on the left. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a turkey that needs my attention.”

 

“Far be it from me to get between a man and his turkey,” Brianna joked.

 

Brianna picked up her bags and made her way to the living room as Edér moved farther into the house. When she entered, she saw the room was empty. _Good, no one to see which present I’m leaving under the tree._ She carefully extracted her Secret Santa present from one of her bags and placed it gently under the tree with several other presents. She quickly counted them and realized she was the last person to arrive. Pallegina, Aloth, and Tekéhu must be somewhere else in the house. Maia and Xoti would be coming over tomorrow to exchange Secret Santa gifts, but they were spending the night with Kana.

 

“Brianna,” Aloth’s familiar voice came from behind her.

 

Brianna quickly stood and turned to face him.

 

“Aloth! Merry Christmas!” she greeted him.

 

He chuckled quietly as they moved to embrace each other.

 

“Merry Christmas,” he said as they hugged, “I’m glad you’re here.”

 

Brianna pulled back and cupped his face with both of her hands. She looked him in the eye and smiled before kissing him, lightly at first. She couldn’t help deepening the kiss when he wound his hand in her hair, though.

 

When they broke for air, they were both breathing heavily. The space between them was filled with unspent energy. Brianna leaned her forehead against Aloth’s as she took deep breaths _. If he doesn’t fuck me soon, I just might explode,_ she thought.

 

She leaned back to look at him.

 

“Aloth-“ she began, only to be interrupted by Tekéhu entering the room.

 

“Oh, forgive me,” Tekéhu said when he saw them, “I did not mean to interrupt, but Edér wanted me to tell you both that dinner is ready.”

 

“We’ll be right there,” Brianna replied, flashing Tekéhu a smile.

 

Tekéhu nodded and left the room.

 

Brianna sighed and looked back at Aloth.

 

“Raincheck?” she said.

 

“Raincheck,” he agreed.


	22. Chapter 22

**Monday, December 24 th 2018**

 

Edér had given Brianna and Aloth the second bedroom for the night. _Thank fucking gods_ , she thought as she and Aloth blindly stumbled toward the bed, not breaking from their kiss. Her skin felt like it was charged with electricity everywhere Aloth touched her and she was already wet and aching for him.

 

Were they really going to have sex for the first time in Edér’s home? The thought filled her with unease, but her need for release was overpowering her sense of decorum.

 

She pulled away from Aloth’s mouth to swiftly remove her sweater. This was not new territory, but it thrilled her all the same to feel Aloth’s strong hands on her bare torso.

 

When he leaned in to leave wet, open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone, she nearly lost her mind.

 

“You’re…wearing…too many clothes, Corfiser,” she managed to say.

 

Aloth pulled away from her, smirking, and tugged off his shirt. As always, she wondered about the little scars that littered his chest, but decided to put those questions away for another time.

 

When he leaned in to kiss her, she stopped him.

 

“We can’t have sex in Edér’s house,” she blurted out.

 

Aloth seemed taken aback. After a moment, he nodded. “Very well, do you want to stop?” he asked.

 

“No!” she said a little too quickly, making Aloth smile, “I swear to god Aloth, if you don’t get me off tonight I’m going to die.”

 

Aloth looked like he was considering their options. “So, you don’t want to have traditional sex?” he questioned.

 

Brianna nodded.

 

“What if I use my hands and mouth?”

 

Brianna felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Oral sex was her favorite, but she had yet to tell Aloth that. And his hands…did things to her.

 

She swallowed thickly. “Uh huh. That would be good.”

 

Aloth smiled that special smile of his. “Then we should probably take our jeans off,” he suggested.

 

Brianna smiled back and started unbuttoning her pants. Now this, this was new territory and it was thrilling.

 

When Brianna was left in her bra and underwear and Aloth in his boxers they stood close to each other, but not touching. Slowly, she reached a hand out to trace a line down his arm.

 

“You’re so beautiful, Aloth,” she told him, barely above a whisper.

 

Aloth shook his head, as if in disbelief. “You’re beautiful, Brianna, inside and out” he replied.

 

He gently guided her to lie down on the bed and began kissing her, lightly at first, as his hands explored her body. Aloth left her mouth to kiss down her neck, sucking gently when he found a sensitive spot that made her gasp. She could feel his hard cock against her.

 

Aloth snaked his hand behind her back to unhook her bra, but he stopped to ask permission. When Brianna assented, he unhooked it with only a little trouble and Brianna moved her arms to allow him to remove her bra and throw it to the floor.

 

Brianna distantly realized she was holding her breath. Her breasts were…well, human breasts. They had stretch marks. One was slightly bigger than the other. They were big and because of that, they sagged without a bra to support them. In the split-second between Aloth removing her bra and his next action, she was intensely nervous of his reaction.

 

She didn’t need to worry, though. Aloth got right to work, one hand massaging her left breast while his mouth worked at her right. She let out the breath she had been holding and then her breaths quickly turned into little gasps. It felt _good_.

 

As Aloth switched his mouth to her other breast, she tangled her hands in his long hair that was flowing freely down his bare back. _Beautiful_ , she thought, _he’s so beautiful and he doesn’t see it._

Aloth brought his face up to hers once more to kiss her. Brianna swiped her tongue against his lips and he opened his mouth to accept her. She swore she felt him sigh into the kiss as their tongues met.

 

When he pulled away, he held her gaze for a moment before moving to kneel between her thighs. _Fuck._

 

“Fuck,” she breathed.

 

Aloth chuckled and she could feel his breath on her thigh as he did. Slowly, he began leaving feather-light kisses along her sensitive thighs. The kisses soon turned wet and sloppy, making her breathing heavy. When he found a spot that made her gasp, he paid particular attention to it.

 

“Aloth, _please_ ,” Brianna begged.

 

Aloth lifted his head up to make eye contact with her.

 

“Please what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Brianna practically growled. “I love foreplay, but I’m _dying_ here.”

 

Aloth laughed. “Very well, if you insist.”

 

He hooked his fingers in the fabric of her underwear, but waited for her assent before removing them. For a moment, she hesitated. It was always awkward the first time someone saw your genitals. But she reminded herself Aloth wanted to be here, that he wanted to do this.

 

When Brianna gave the word, Aloth deftly brought her underwear down her legs and discarded them on the floor. Wasting no time, he quickly settled himself on the bed with her legs over his shoulders.

 

Brianna couldn’t help the quiet moan that escaped her as Aloth licked a long stripe all the way up her core. She knew she wouldn’t last long, considering how worked up she was, but damn would it feel good.

 

Aloth continued working her with his tongue. When he started focusing on her clit, she had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop a loud moan from leaving her.

 

“Fuck, Aloth,” she whined.

 

Then, he inserted two fingers inside her and curled, hitting that sensitive nerve. She couldn’t help the involuntary jerk of her hips. She apologized and tried to hold herself steady.

 

As his mouth worked her clit and his fingers moved inside her, she could quickly feel her orgasm mounting. Her breaths were coming faster and faster. _Fuck he feels so good._

 

Brianna fisted her hands in Aloth’s hair as she came. She quietly moaned his name as he worked her through her orgasm, only stopping when she told him the sensation was too much.

 

As she came back down, she opened her eyes to see Aloth sitting between her legs. His hair was a mess and his lips were swollen and slick. _Beautiful_.

 

Lazily, she reached for him, and Aloth moved up her body. Brianna kissed him, tasting herself on his mouth. She could feel his cock insistently pressing against her torso. She reached a hand down to gently stroke him and he shivered.

 

“You ready for your turn?” she whispered in his ear.

 

When Brianna pulled back, Aloth’s pupils were wide. He nodded and she kissed him before reversing their positions so she was on top. She nipped briefly at the tip of his right ear and heard his breath catch in his throat before she moved down to his neck.

 

Brianna left a trail of kisses all the way down his body, leaving her hands to roam over his torso and thighs. When she reached his crotch, she let her hot breath ghost over his cock for a moment before moving on to kiss his thighs. She heard Aloth make a frustrated noise and giggled to herself.

 

When she was satisfied that Aloth had been thoroughly kissed, she looked at him expectantly before removing his boxers. When he gave the go ahead, she pulled his final piece of clothing down his body, freeing his cock.

 

Aloth had told her he was uncircumcised, but for some reason it still surprised her. Remembering how Aloth had treated her, she got right to work. Brianna quickly wrapped her hand around Aloth’s cock and started pumping, paying special attention to the sensitive head. She brought her other hand to stroke his balls. She heard his breaths turn labored under her ministrations.

 

“How’s the pressure?” she asked after some time had passed.

 

Aloth took a moment to find his voice. “Faster,” was all he said.

 

Brianna smiled. She could do that. Brianna increased the speed of her pumps, as well as the pressure of her hand on his cock. She heard Aloth take in a sharp breath. Soon, his breaths were coming much faster.

 

“Brianna, I’m going to…” Aloth said, trailing off.

 

“Good,” Brianna replied, looking him in the eye, “Come for me, Aloth.”

 

That was all it took. With a low, drawn out groan, Aloth came. His semen ended up mostly on his stomach, but some of it got on Brianna’s hand. She didn’t mind, especially considering the incredible noises Aloth was making. She worked him through his orgasm, drawing it out and making sure he felt as good as he made her feel. She moved her hands away when he told her it was too much and moved to get some tissues.

 

Aloth was breathing heavily as she cleaned him up. After discarding the tissues in the trash, she laid down next to him, tracing patterns lightly on his chest.

 

Aloth’s eyes fluttered open and found hers. He turned to face her and settled his hand on her waist. They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the companionable silence until Brianna got cold and insisted they get under the covers.

 

They fell asleep nestled together for the first time in Edér’s guest room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Tuesday, December 25 th 2018**

 

“Merry Christmas!” Xoti exclaimed as she burst through Edér’s front door with Maia right behind her.

 

Edér’s dogs, Princess and Asher, were barking happily, wagging their tails, and milling about as the humans in the room said their greetings. Edér’s three cats, wary of all the noise, were hiding elsewhere in the house.

 

Edér took Maia and Xoti’s coats while Aloth took their Secret Santa gifts and moved into the living room to place them under the Christmas tree. Brianna, Tekéhu, and Pallegina were sitting on the couch having a lively discussion about the best Christmas movie, a topic Aloth guessed Brianna came up with. Left to their own devices, Tekéhu and Pallegina tended to argue, but even Pallegina seemed to be enjoying this particular conversation.

 

“Tekéhu, I can’t believe you’re seriously advocating for _A Christmas Story_ ,” Brianna was saying, “that movie is awful.”

 

“On the contrary, it is a classic and deserving of the highest praise,” Tekéhu countered, sipping his coffee.

 

Brianna narrowed her eyes at him. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or if you’re arguing for the sake of arguing.”

 

Pallegina chuckled. “I have never seen this _Christmas Story_ , but it certainly can’t be better than _Miracle on 34 th Street_,” she declared.

 

Brianna pointed emphatically at Pallegina. “Yes,” she said, looking back at Tekéhu, “this is a woman with taste!”

 

Just then, Edér, Xoti, and Maia entered the living room, quickly followed by Princess and Asher. Tekéhu, Brianna, and Pallegina rose to greet them.

 

Once they were all settled, some on the couch and arm chairs, some on the floor, they began to open presents. Brianna and Aloth were sitting close together on the floor, their legs touching.

 

Edér received a silver Eothasian pendant from Xoti. Xoti received a candle from the high church in Readceras that Tekéhu had had delivered. Tekéhu received a book of traditional aumauan chants from Brianna. Aloth received an original edition of _Ulysses_ from Maia. Maia received a brand new animal handling glove to use with Ishi from Pallegina. Pallegina received an ornate frame from Edér to put her medical degree in when she graduated in May.

 

Finally, there was only one present left under the tree. Brianna grabbed it and smiled at Aloth before unwrapping it.

 

The wrapping paper slowly revealed three picture frames. The frames were silver with a delicate, intricate detailing. The first picture frame housed the picture Brianna, Aloth, and their friends had taken at the Naasitaq Humane Society fundraiser. The second was a picture of Brianna and Aloth, smiling widely at the camera. It was the first picture they had taken together, several months ago. The final picture was of Brianna and her parents, nearly twenty years ago. She had shown it to Aloth the first time he came over to her new apartment.

 

“I’m sorry for taking the picture of your family without permission,” Aloth said nervously, “but I was afraid you would figure out what I was doing if I asked to borrow it.”

 

Aloth gazed at her anxiously. For a few agonizing seconds, she continued to stare at the pictures. Finally, she looked up at him, eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t put a name to.

 

“Thank you, Aloth,” she said earnestly, “They’re beautiful. I love them.” Aloth could feel himself blush lightly at her words.

 

She gently placed the frames on the floor and enveloped Aloth in a hug. He had a feeling she would appreciate the pictures, but he still worried. _A reminder of her family._

 

Brianna showed the others Aloth’s gifts. As the frames were being passed around and admired, Brianna pulled him in for a kiss.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered against his lips. Aloth smiled against her mouth before bringing his lips to meet hers once again.


	24. Chapter 24

**Friday, December 28 th 2018**

 

Brianna drummed her fingers nervously against her thigh. She was nervous. And uncomfortable. A terrible combination, really.

 

“Relax,” Edér instructed easily, like they weren’t about to meet the Chief of Police and beg for his help.

 

Brianna huffed. “I feel like we’re here for a job interview,” she complained, “We’re certainly dressed for it.”

 

Edér chuckled as he laid his much larger hand over hers to still it.

 

“Deep breaths, Brianna,” he told her, “We can do this.”

 

Brianna took several steadying breaths and found she did feel slightly more relaxed. She went over her talking points one more time and silently wished Aloth could be here. He had to work, but insisted she not go alone. She was grateful Edér had volunteered to be her partner. Being around so many people with guns put her on edge. As silly as she knew it sounded, knowing that Edér had been under fire before put her more at ease.

 

Brianna leaned gently against Edér and he easily shouldered her weight. She sighed softly.

 

“Do you think we’re doing the right thing, Edér?” she asked quietly.

 

“I take it you mean huntin’ The Leaden Key and not talkin’ to the Chief,” he replied.

 

She nodded and waited for him to continue.

 

“You know they say the right thing ain’t often the easy thing? That’s how I figure it is with this,” Edér explained. Brianna could feel his chest rumble as he spoke.

 

“I mean, sure, we could pretend we don’t know what we know. We could do nothin’ and let that cult keep killin’ and doin’ their business. But if we don’t stop ‘em, who will? I don’t reckon it’ll be easy. In fact, I think things are gonna get a lot harder from here on out. But folks like us, we don’t sit on our hands while injustices are being committed,” he continued.

 

Brianna blinked several times in surprise. Edér had read her so clearly, so insightfully, she could hardly believe it. She felt an immense empathy for him in that moment. _Kindred spirits._

 

“You’re right,” she said softly, but with conviction, “I wouldn’t be able to do nothing, knowing what I know.”

 

Edér nodded in agreement.

 

“If you’ll follow me, Chief Clyver will see you now,” a voice to their right called.

 

Brianna looked over and recognized the Chief’s secretary. Brianna and Edér stood, following the man down a short hallway to an ornate oak door with a gold handle. The secretary opened without knocking. The room was beautiful, elegantly decorated to the point that Brianna very much doubted the Chief himself had anything to do with it. This room was much nicer than the rest of the police headquarters.

 

Behind an elaborate, wood desk, Chief Clyver stood to greet them. He was an older man, at least in his 60s. He was slightly balding, but the hair he did have was grey and thin. Brianna couldn’t help but notice he was in incredible shape for his age, as well as a man who probably sat behind a desk most days.

 

“Ms. Vilar and Mr. Teylecg,” the secretary announced before leaving and closing the door behind him.

 

Brianna strode forward purposefully to shake Clyver’s outstretched hand. He had quite a grip, but she made sure to shake firmly, the way her parents taught her.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Clyver said, releasing Brianna’s hand and reaching to shake Edér’s hand, “Friends of Serafen’s are welcome in my office any time.”

 

Brianna winced inwardly as she watched as his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. She tried not to judge him too harshly for it; she figured he spent a lot of his time being polite to people who wanted something from him.

 

Brianna smiled, making sure it looked as genuine as she could muster. “Thank you for seeing us. I know you’re a busy man, we appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule.”

 

Clyver sat down in his plush armchair and Brianna and Edér took their cue to follow suit.

 

“Of course. I’ll admit, Serafen was vague about what it was you needed my help with. I’m quite curious to find out the details,” Clyver was still smiling pleasantly as he spoke.

 

_I can’t imagine he’ll still be smiling once he hears my request,_ she thought.

 

Brianna took a quick breath, steeling herself.

 

“If I may, Chief Clyver, I would like to argue my case without interruption,” she said.

 

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded his assent.

 

“I need access to testify at the Defiance Bay States Attorney hearings,” Brianna began.

 

Clyver was not smiling anymore. However, he didn’t say anything.

 

“I have knowledge of the culprits behind several high profile crimes that have been committed in the city over the last several years. As you know, the States Attorney prosecuted the suspects in some of these cases and all of said suspects were later cleared by DNA evidence. They were all framed. I can prove it. There was no prosecutorial misconduct. I can prove who’s really behind the murders, the arsons, and the adra robberies,” Brianna declared.

 

After several moments of silence, Clyver spoke, “How did you come by this evidence?” His tone betrayed no emotion.

 

Brianna knew she could easily slip into his mind to see what he was thinking, but she didn’t think that was necessary for the time being.

 

“The people behind these crimes killed my parents in Readceras. I’ve been hunting them ever since,” Brianna said.

 

Clyver surveyed her for several long moments. Even without delving into his mind, she could feel waves of indecision radiating from him.

 

“How do I know your information is good?” he asked.

 

_Ah_ , she thought, _here comes the hard part._

 

“I’m not prepared to divulge my sources until I’m in the hearing in front of the senators,” Brianna responded, pleased at how smoothly the lie came out.

 

Clyver let out a breath. “You’re asking a lot of me, Ms. Vilar. To allow you access to the hearings without being able to verify your information…”

 

Brianna felt herself scrambling for a way to convince him when Edér spoke.

 

“Pardon the interruption, but are you by chance from up north?” Edér asked.

 

Clyver blinked at Edér.

 

“I couldn’t help but notice the Valewood city flag on your shelf over there, along with your service medals. Saints War veteran?” Edér continued.

 

Brianna began to see where Edér was going with this line of questioning. She prayed silently to whatever gods were listening that it would work.

 

Clyver sat up straighter in his chair. “Ah, yes, I am originally from Valewood. I lived there for fifty years before moving here. I was a colonel during the Saints War,” he answered, glancing at the aforementioned shelf.

 

Edér nodded amicably. “I’m originally from Gilded Vale myself. I love Defiance Bay, but there’s somethin’ special up north you can’t find here on the coast.”

 

“I was a first lieutenant during the Saints War. My brother served, too, in spec ops. Gave his life saving a town of civilians,” Edér told Clyver.

 

“You have my condolences,” Clyver said.

 

Brianna was touched by the sincerity in his voice.

 

“Thank you,” Edér said, leaning forward, “Back to the topic at hand…I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I’ve seen what these people can do. They set an entire apartment full of people on fire just to send a message. They don’t care who they hurt. People are in danger. People are _dying_. Way I see it, you don’t stand to lose anything by lettin’ her say her piece at this hearing.”

 

Clyver’s eyes widened slightly before he regained his composure.

  
“Do you mean to say…the group responsible for the string of mysterious disappearances and deaths, adra robberies, and other arsons, was also responsible for the downtown apartment building fire in October?” Clyver asked, rubbing his chin.

 

Brianna nodded solemnly. “That was _my_ apartment building.”

 

Clyver placed his hand back on his desk.

 

“I see,” he said.

 

He surveyed them for several moments until Brianna felt his indecision turn to resolution.

 

“You will have access to the hearings,” he conceded, “I will contact you with your testimony date once I have filed the necessary paperwork.”

 

Brianna let out a breath.

 

“Thank you, Chief Clyver,” Brianna replied.

 

_This was Edér’s victory, not mine,_ she thought. Brianna made a mental note to offer to buy his dog and cat food for a month in gratitude.

 

As Brianna and Edér said their goodbyes to Clyver, Brianna’s relief at winning this one small battle slowly turned to anxiety at the monumental task that still faced her: convincing a room full of politicians that a shadowy cult existed within their city and was plotting against them.


	25. Chapter 25

**Monday, December 31 st 2018**

 

It was nearly midnight. Almost the new year. Brianna could hardly believe it. Her life had changed so drastically since moving to Defiance Bay, since meeting Aloth. After her parents died, part of her assumed she would never really be able to put her life back together again. She had never been happier to be wrong.

 

Brianna looked around at her friends assembled in Edér’s living room as she sipped on her wine, a bubbly, sweet white that Pallegina had brought just for her. Maia and Xoti were curled up in an armchair together, Xoti giggling as Maia whispered something in her ear. To their left on the couch, Kana and Tekéhu were engaged in an animated discussion about poetry. Brianna was just thankful they weren’t arguing about politics.

 

“Brianna?” Aloth’s voice brought her attention back to her friends standing next to her.

 

“Hm? Sorry, got a little distracted,” she apologized.

 

Aloth brushed his land lightly against hers. She easily slipped her hand into his.

 

“We were talking about our new year’s resolutions. I asked if you had one,” Pallegina said.

 

“Oh, you know,” Brianna replied, “I’m just focused on school right now, finishing my degree would be a good start.”

 

 _Destroying the cult that’s hunting us and wreaking havoc in the city would be nice, too._ Not for the first time, Brianna lamented keeping some of her friends in the dark about her mission. Ultimately, she decided it was better not to put them all in danger.

 

Pallegina nodded. “You have drive and resolve. I have no doubt you will accomplish all that you put your mind to,” Pallegina told her.

 

Suddenly, Brianna felt very transparent. Like Pallegina knew she had a hidden goal she was unwilling to admit to.

 

Brianna was saved from responding when Xoti exclaimed, “It’s almost time! Everybody get over here!”

 

Brianna glanced at the T.V. to see that the countdown was in fact about to start. Edér and Pallegina moved to sit on the couch. Aloth and Brianna remained standing next to the couch.

 

“Are you ready?” she asked him, smiling and squeezing his hand.

 

“With you? Of course,” Aloth replied.

 

Brianna felt her breath leave her. He always knew just what to say.

 

The countdown began and together they watched the ball drop. As the new year began, Brianna cheered with her friends before turning to Aloth. She brought him in for a kiss.

 

Brianna kissed him deeply, passionately. She aimed to pour all of her gratefulness, all of her feeling for him into that kiss. To let him know how much it meant to her to be there with him in that moment.

 

Aloth responded in kind, gripping her waist and drawing her close to him, as close as she could be.

 

When they parted for air, Brianna whispered, “Happy New Year, Aloth.”

 

She felt more than heard him chuckle.

 

“Happy New Year, Brianna.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Tuesday, January 1 st 2019**

 

_“As we, or mother Dana, weave and unweave our bodies, Stephen said, from day to day, their molecules shuttled to and fro, so does the artist weave and unweave his image.”_

Aloth was on chapter nine of _Ulysses_. The original edition copy Maia had given him for Christmas was beautiful, but delicate. He carefully flipped the page and continued reading.

 

Next to him, Brianna put her own book away.

 

“Aloth,” she whined.

 

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing.

 

It was already mid-afternoon. They had decided to spend the day in bed at Aloth’s apartment, too exhausted from Edér’s party to do much of anything else.

 

Brianna looked at him with pleading eyes.

 

“I’m _bored_ ,” she complained.

 

Aloth had a feeling he knew where this was going, but decided to draw it out.

 

“So you decided to stop reading?” he questioned.

 

Brianna huffed. “It’s _The Sun and Her Flowers_. I’ve read it a hundred times.”

 

Aloth hummed in acknowledgement, but went back to his own book.

 

“Aloth,” Brianna whined again after a few minutes.

 

Aloth made eye contact with her. “Yes?”

 

“I want to have sex with you. Right now. In your bed,” she stated.

 

Aloth could feel himself flush at her words. He could feel his arousal begin to stir, as well. He would be lying if he claimed he hadn’t been thinking about having sex with Brianna since their night at Edér’s house.

 

Aloth carefully closed his book and placed it on his bedside table.

 

“This is what will cure your boredom?” he asked.

 

Brianna laid back dramatically against the pillows and flung an arm over her eyes.

 

“It’s the _only_ thing that will,” she proclaimed, “Please, Aloth, you’re my only ho-“

 

Before she could finish her sentence, Aloth had straddled her and claimed her mouth with his own. She still tasted of the pancakes he had made for their late breakfast, as well as the copious amounts of syrup she had drenched them in. _Sweet, just like her._

 

Brianna wound one hand in his hair to clutch at his head. Her other hand made its way underneath his shirt to gently scratch his back.

 

Aloth broke the kiss to remove his shirt and Brianna gently tugged on his lower lip with her teeth. Once his shirt was discarded on the floor, he leaned back in to kiss her, only for Brianna to place her hands gently on his chest, keeping him at bay.

 

“Aloth…those little scars on your chest, what are they from?” she asked quietly.

 

Aloth felt his throat constrict at her words. Memories of his father flooded his mind and he desperately tried to stay in the present with Brianna. He could feel Iselmyr stir restlessly, but he tried to assure her everything was fine, that there was no immediate threat.

 

“They…my father…he enjoyed…” Aloth tried to get the words out, but they just wouldn’t form.

 

“Oh,” Brianna said softly.

 

She reached up to cup his face gently. “Forget I said anything. We don’t have to talk about it. Not ever, if you don’t want to.”

 

Immediately, the tension drained from Aloth’s frame. He leaned down to rest his head against Brianna’s neck. She gently rubbed Aloth’s back. After several minutes, he pulled back to look at her.

 

“I would like to continue, if you would,” Aloth told her.

 

Brianna gave him a small smile and a nod. He leaned down to kiss her again and swiped his tongue against her lips. She quickly opened her mouth to him.

 

The energy between them was different now than it had been at Edér’s house. Then, things had been electric, desperate. Now, things were almost lazy, more sensual. As if they had all the time in the world. That idea pleased Aloth.

 

Brianna was just wearing a large t-shirt, so when Aloth slipped it over her head, she was left in only her underwear. She was…for all his vocabulary, Aloth lacked the words to describe her beauty. He endeavored to show her how much he appreciated her with his body, instead.

 

She gasped loudly when he closed his lips around one nipple and flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub. Another good thing about not being at Edér’s house was being able to hear Brianna at full volume. As Aloth lavished her breasts with attention, Brianna continued to let out contended sighs and gasps that only served to turn him on more.

 

When Aloth moved upwards to kiss her neck, his hard cock brushed against her crotch. He heard her swear quietly and he couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. She swatted him lightly on his bare shoulder.

 

“Cheeky bastard,” she breathed.

 

Next, Aloth moved down her body, leaving open-mouthed kisses until he reached her navel. Then he settled himself in between her legs, removing her underwear with permission. He started massaging her thighs before switching to kisses. He found a spot on her left thigh that made her take in a harsh breath and he began to suck.

 

“Fuck,” she groaned quietly.

 

Aloth turned his attention to her core and inserted one finger inside her. He watched her face to gauge her reaction; her eyes were closed but the sounds coming out of her mouth left much to be desired, so he added a second finger. Aloth moved his fingers in a rhythmic motion, making sure to hit the bundle of nerves inside her. Now he was getting little gasps to spill out of Brianna’s mouth. When he added his other hand to work at her clit, the gasps turned into small moans.

 

After several moments, Brianna clutched at his hands, stilling his movements.

 

“I want you,” Brianna told him, looking him in the eye, “ _Now_.”

 

Aloth felt a spike of nervousness at her words, but quickly swallowed it. He was more than ready for this, he reminded himself. He removed his own remaining clothing and opened the drawer in his bedside table to grab a condom. Once he was ready, he settled himself on the bed on top of Brianna and kissed her soundly. Brianna grabbed at his waist and shoulder eagerly.

 

“Are you ready?” he asked breathlessly.

 

Brianna nodded.

 

Aloth was surprised at how easily he entered her. Brianna angled herself perfectly to accept his cock and he slowly entered her, careful not to go too quickly. Once he was up to the hilt, he turned his attention to Brianna; her eyes were closed and she was taking deep breaths. Aloth stayed quiet, brushing a lock of hair off her face. He had no doubt Brianna would tell him if he needed to do something differently.

 

“You’re…wow,” Brianna breathed, opening her eyes to look at him, “You feel really good. Sorry, I’m just…adjusting.”

 

Aloth was certain he was blushing at her words. “It’s no trouble. Take your time,” he replied, “You…you feel…” Aloth could think of a million words to fill in the blank. _Divine. Incredible. Marvelous._

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Brianna was kissing him slowly, sensually.

 

When she pulled away, she said, “I’m ready now.”

 

Aloth slowly withdrew himself from Brianna before sinking back into her. _Glorious. Extraordinary._ When he rocked all the way into her, she let out a moan.

 

“Fuck,” she whispered.

 

_Fuck_ , Aloth thought.

 

He set a slow pace. Sensual, to match the mood. He continued to draw moan after moan out of Brianna. They continued like that for several minutes. Aloth could feel his orgasm drawing near, but he was determined to make Brianna come first.

 

“Aloth, I need…can we…can we try a different position?” Brianna asked between breaths.

 

Aloth stilled himself and nodded at Brianna.

 

“Did you have something in mind?” he asked.

 

“I want…can I sit in your lap?” she asked, almost self-consciously.

 

“Of course,” Aloth replied.

 

Aloth removed himself from Brianna and kneeled in the center of the bed. Brianna quickly moved to kneel in his lap, aligning herself to take him in. She groaned as he reentered her and gently bit down on his collarbone. Aloth snaked a hand in between their bodies to rub at her clit and Brianna’s hips jerked.

 

“I’m sorry,” Aloth said quickly, afraid the contact was unwanted.

 

Brianna whipped her head up to look at him. “No,” she said emphatically, “Keep doing it. It feels amazing.”

 

Aloth did as he was told. Brianna began rocking her hips forward on his cock and he groaned at the sensation. After a few moments, he started thrusting his hips up in time with her rocking motions as his fingers continued to rub her clit.

 

The sensations threatened to overwhelm Aloth. Brianna’s hands gripping his shoulders. The feeling of being inside her. Her soft, but strong thighs straddling his own. Her breasts pressing against his chest as she rocked forward.

 

Brianna brought one of her hands to cup Aloth’s face and angled his head to capture his lips. It was sloppy and full of passion. When she pulled away, she buried her face in his collarbone and moaned loudly.

 

Aloth was close to his climax and based on her breathing and the sounds coming out of her mouth, Brianna was, too.

 

Suddenly, she brought her head up to look at him.

 

“Aloth,” she breathed.

 

The next moment, Aloth could feel her walls begin to clench rhythmically around his cock. Her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth fell open as moans began to spill out. Her nails scraped gently over his shoulders as she came, continuing to rock forward as he thrust into her.

 

Aloth had intended to wait until she was done, but her orgasm sent him over the edge into his own. His grip on Brianna’s waist tightened as his own eyes shut. A long, low groan escaped his mouth as he came, his cock throbbing as his semen spilled out.

 

Slowly, he came back to himself. He was breathing heavily and he could feel there were knots in his hair from where Brianna had tangled her hands in it. Opening his eyes, he saw Brianna was in much the same state. She was smiling at him, with the dimples he loved so much.

 

“Well, are you still bored?” he quipped.

 

She laughed her beautiful, musical laugh. _Breathtaking. Heart-stopping. Heavenly._


	27. Chapter 27

**Wednesday, January 9 th 2019**

 

The Defiance Bay Capitol building was a grand, dome shaped building. Brianna listened to the satisfying clicks her heels made against the shiny marble floor as she walked hand in hand with Aloth down one of structure’s many hallways. She wore simple black high heels and a conservative purple dress. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail. _Is this what a trustworthy person looks like?_ she mused.

 

On either side of her, Aloth and Edér were dressed in formal attire as well. Normally, Brianna would have loved to see Aloth dressed up, but the circumstances made it hard to appreciate his outfit.

 

Tekéhu was in the Deadfire, visiting his family before classes started again for the spring semester. He had called her last night to wish her luck. She had only cried a little.

 

Brianna’s heart rate increased when they finally reached the room they were looking for. Imposing double doors stood closed on the left side of the hallway, marked by a small placard that read “States Attorney Hearings.” Three armed guards stood outside the doors.

 

As they approached, one of the guards with a clipboard looked at them. “Can I help you?” she asked, not unkindly.

 

Brianna cleared her throat, nerves making it difficult to find her voice. “Brianna Vilar. I’m here to testify at noon.”

 

Brianna saw the guard look at the name tag she had acquired when she checked in at the security desk, then at the clipboard in her hands. Once she was satisfied, she looked back up Brianna.

 

“You can enter when you’re ready, but your friends will have to stay out here. The hearings are closed to the public,” the guard told her.

 

Instantly, Brianna felt the unease rolling off Aloth and Edér in waves, adding to her own discomfort. She knew this was a possibility, but she had hoped…

 

Brianna nodded. “Okay, thank you,” she replied.

 

Edér, Brianna, and Aloth stepped away from the guards, far enough away so as not to be overheard. Dropping Aloth’s hand, Brianna brought her hands to cover her face as she breathed deeply.

 

When she lowered her hands and opened her eyes, she saw that Aloth and Edér were looking at her. However, instead of the pity she had expected, they simply looked resolute.

 

“You are more than capable of doing this, Brianna, but you don’t have to,” Aloth reminded her for what felt like the tenth time in as many days.

 

Brianna held his gaze. She knew he worried about what would happen after her testimony. She worried, too. Her entire life could fall apart. But she kept going back to what Edér had said. _Folks like us, we don’t sit on our hands while injustices are being committed._

 

“I’ve come this far. I’m not turning back now,” she told him.

 

Edér placed a grounding hand on her shoulder.

 

“You got this,” he said, smiling, “We’ll be right here when you’re done.”

 

Brianna smiled back at him before turning to Aloth. She wanted to say…something. She didn’t have the words to tell him how much his support had meant to her. His companionship, his affection.

 

Words failed her, so she simply pulled him in for a kiss, hoping he would understand.  When they pulled apart, she nodded once at him.

 

“See you on the other side,” she said softly.

 

Aloth nodded back, a small smile on his face.

 

Brianna turned and walked to the double doors. She had to wait for a moment as one of the guards opened the door and she turned her head to look at Aloth and Edér. They were sitting on bench up against a wall, Aloth laughing at something Edér was saying. The image filled her with warmth as she moved into the room beyond.

 

If Brianna thought the rest of the Capitol building was grand, it was nothing compared to this courtroom. The room was large and rectangular and she took in the grandeur as she followed the guard to an empty seat in the gallery. She realized this courtroom must have been designed specifically for hearings, as there was no jury box, no judge’s bench, and no witness stand.

 

Instead, beyond the gallery sat a table with a microphone. A dwarven man was seated there currently, presumably testifying. At the far end of the room, there was a long bench where Brianna assumed the senators were sitting. They had placards in front of them, but she was too far away to read their names. Each of them had a microphone as well. The room had no windows and only two doors, the one that she had entered through and a smaller one along the back wall.

 

The ceiling was high and filled with chandeliers. Just below the ceiling, along the walls were carved depictions of the gods. Brianna could see Hylea, Woedica, and Abydon from where she sat. She idly wondered if Skaen was somewhere along the wall.

 

Brianna briefly tuned in to what the testifying dwarf was saying, but it was too scientific for her to understand. Something about DNA analysis. She checked her phone and realized she had only five minutes before it was supposed to be her turn to testify. With trembling hands, she smoothed down her dress as she took deep breaths.

 

The dwarf’s testimony ran a little long and Brianna was finally called to testify ten minutes after twelve. Carefully, she stood and moved to the table in front of the senators. She walked as confidently as she could, with her head held high. When she sat down, she was pleased to see that the testimony she had prepared was on the table in front of her.

 

“When you’re ready,” the man in the middle of the bench said to her.

 

Now that she was closer, she could see that the placard in front of him read “Senator Aevar.”

 

Brianna cleared her throat and began her testimony.


	28. Chapter 28

**Wednesday, January 9 th 2019**

 

“My name is Brianna Vilar. I’m here today to testify on behalf of States Attorney Barrasc,” Brianna read from her prepared testimony. Truthfully, she had gone over her statement so many times she didn’t need to read it, but Serafen and Ms. Webb had assured her that reading it looked more professional.

 

“Over the last several months, I have come to possess evidence that proves Barrasc did not commit prosecutorial misconduct as he has been accused of. Rather, it is my belief that the cases linked together by this hearing were committed by a single group, conspiring to lay blame for their crimes at the feet of innocents,” she continued. Now that she was speaking, she found her nerves were slowly slipping away.

 

“A have reason to believe a group calling themselves The Leaden Key murdered my parents in Readceras and made it look like an accident. I traced them here and they began to threaten my life, as well. I have submitted into evidence a note I received from them on Wednesday, October 3rd of this year.”

 

Brianna looked up as she saw the note that had been slipped under her old apartment door pass from senator to senator in a police evidence bag.

 

“As I became more aware of their criminal activities within Defiance Bay, they acted on their threat and set fire to my apartment building on Sunday, October 28th of this year. Thankfully, no one was killed, but the nine story building was unsalvageable.”

 

Brianna went on to submit into evidence the pieces of information Ms. Webb and Serafen had been able to collect concerning the high profile abductions, murders, adra robberies, and arsons that the States Attorney was being investigated for prosecuting. They hadn’t been able to find links to The Leaden Key for all of them, but Brianna hoped that the substantial number they had would be enough.

 

“Finally, I have made contact with the leader of The Leaden Key. This person calls themselves Thaos. I believe Thaos has an awakened soul. More than that, he is able to inhabit the bodies of others. He may also have other abilities that I am not yet aware of. He should be considered extremely dangerous.”

 

Brianna paused for a moment.

 

“That concludes my testimony. Thank you, senators, for your time.”

 

Brianna closed the manila folder containing her testimony and took a long sip of water. Finally, she looked back up at the senators and saw many pairs of eyes staring back at her. She reached out gently with her mind to get a read on them; some of them thought she was crazy, as she expected, but some of them thought her theory had merit.

 

Brianna took a deep, steadying breath as the question portion of her testimony began.

 

“Much of your evidence about this Leaden Key is quite convincing. However, I don’t see why we should believe you about this so-called Thaos. How do you know these things about him?” Senator Aevar asked her.

 

Brianna closed her eyes briefly before looking back at the senator. It was time.

 

“Because I’m a cipher.”

The courtroom erupted in noise. People in the gallery, senators, aides, everyone around her began to talk all at once. Even more distracting were their thoughts. Some people were panicking because they thought she was dangerous, others were angry that someone like her had even been allowed to set foot in the Capitol building.

 

Senator Aevar called for order. After a long minute, quiet returned to the courtroom. He eyed her for a moment before responding, “Could you elaborate?”

 

“Thaos was…inhabiting the mind of someone else. I reached out to their mind and touched Thaos’ on accident. He spoke to me,” she told him.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Brianna saw the guard from the hallway walk by her table and towards the senator’s bench. She was carrying something in her hand.

 

Senator Aevar seemed to be considering Brianna’s words when the guard approached him. She handed him the piece of paper.

 

As he read it, a change came over the guard. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her body went rigid. At the same time, Brianna felt a shift in her aura. _Thaos._

 

Before Brianna could react, the guard pulled out her gun and shot Senator Aevar in the head. He fell forward, his body resting motionless on the bench in front of him. Screams broke out all around Brianna as people began to realize what was happening. The guard turned her gun on several other senators, killing them, before the guards inside the courtroom killed her.

 

The senators were being rushed out of the small door in the back wall with their aides. Brianna stood up so quickly her chair fell over. When she turned around, she saw everyone else flooding out the main doors. She hurried to leave as well, desperate to find Aloth and Edér.

 

When Brianna moved past the threshold and turned right, she immediately ran into Edér’s solid form. She felt a hand on her bicep and realized it belonged to Aloth, who stood just to Edér’s right.

 

“Oh, thank Eothas you’re alright,” he said, “Come on, we gotta get out of here.”

 

Taking both Edér’s and Aloth’s hands, she followed Edér down the hallway. She had barely moved two feet when she tripped over something, losing a shoe in the process. Looking down, she realized she had tripped over a dead guard. Swallowing the bile that threated to rise up in her throat, she kicked off her remaining shoe and continued to follow Edér.

 

The three of them moved swiftly until they made it to the main hallway. There, the sea of people trying to get out pressed heavily on them. Brianna tightened her grip on Edér and Aloth, but she could feel Aloth being pushed away from her.

 

She looked over her shoulder at Aloth as people continued to push them farther and farther apart.

 

“Brianna, I will find you outside,” Aloth called to her over the noise.

 

She could feel hot, angry tears come unbidden to her eyes.

 

“I’m not leaving without you!” she cried.

 

Suddenly, Aloth’s hand was ripped from her own.

 

“Aloth!” she called desperately, but the crowd had already swallowed him up. Brianna allowed herself several moments of despair before turning to focus on Edér’s broad shoulders. _Aloth will be okay_ , she thought, _he has to be_.

 

Edér led her slowly but surely through the crowd. Soon, Brianna could see the natural light streaming in through the main entrance. Before she knew it, they had pushed their way out into the frigid January air. Her bare feet burned at the contact with the cold concrete. Edér, still holding her hand, led her all the way down the steps before turning to face her. His breath came out in large puffs. People continued to stream past them, away from the Capitol building.

 

“Where’s Aloth?” he asked confused.

 

Brianna felt shame wash over her.

 

“The crowd pushed us apart. I…I lost him,” Brianna admitted.

 

Confusion gave way to determination on Edér’s face. “Ain’t your fault. I’m going back in th-“ he started before his focus shifted to something far off in the distance.

 

Suddenly, Edér heaved his full weight against Brianna, throwing her to the ground. She landed hard on her shoulder when she hit the concrete, but she didn’t have time to think about the pain as Edér dragged her behind a large statue.

 

“What the fuck, Edér?” she said.

 

Edér fell to the ground next to her, his breathing labored.

 

“Edér?” Brianna asked.

 

That’s when she saw the brilliant scarlet spattered across his dress shirt.


	29. Chapter 29

**Wednesday, January 9 th 2019**

 

Tears spilled down Brianna’s cheeks as she pressed her shaking hands to the bullet wound on Edér’s abdomen. The warm blood oozing from him quickly coated her cold hands. _Am I even doing this right?_ she wondered.

 

Edér was breathing heavily, but he was alert. Brianna thought that was a good sign.

 

“Edér, I…” she began, but didn’t know how to finish. _How do you thank someone for saving you from being shot by a sniper?_

 

“How did you know?” she asked instead.

 

Edér smiled lazily, like he wasn’t bleeding out in front of a government building in the middle of the snow. “Somethin’ I picked up during the war. Knowin’ how to spot a sniper comes in handy,” he said.

 

Brianna smiled at him through her tears, “This isn’t fair you know. How am I supposed to ever repay you for this?”

 

Edér opened his mouth to reply, but instead he began to cough. Near the end, he coughed up a bit of blood. Brianna knew enough to know _that_ was a bad sign. _Where are the fucking paramedics?_ She had heard sirens…

 

Brianna leaned around the statue to get a better look. By now, most people had left the Capitol building, only a few stragglers were running down the stairs. She saw law enforcement had set up a barricade several hundred feet away from the building. Behind the barricade, there were a handful of ambulances.

 

Edér needed medical attention and she couldn’t carry him that far. That meant she had to bring the medical attention to him.

 

“Edér,” she said, making him look at her, “I need to go get help. I’ll run as fast as I can. Just…hang in there, alright?”

 

Edér nodded and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

 

Brianna didn’t allow herself to hesitate. She stood, turned, and sprinted as fast as she could manage in her bare feet on the frozen ground to the nearest ambulance. When she arrived, two paramedics rushed to help her.

 

Taking in gulps of air, she explained she wasn’t hurt, it was Edér that needed help. They told her they weren’t cleared to go past the barricade because of a bomb threat.

 

“But my friend is _outside_ the building! He needs help. _Please_!”

 

They looked at each other and Brianna could feel their indecision. In that moment, Brianna made a choice. _I will not have Edér’s death on my conscience._ As gently as she could, she reached into one paramedic’s mind, then the other’s. She planted the idea that it was safe to go beyond the barricade.

 

“Show us where your friend is,” the female paramedic said.

 

-

 

Brianna sat by herself in the hospital waiting room. Her bare feet touched the cold, tiled floor and she shivered at the contact. Distantly, she thought about finding a bathroom and washing the blood off of her hands. Not that it would do anything to get to the blood out of her dress.

 

Several other people sat in the surgery waiting room with her. Some of them had given her pitying looks when she walked in. A kindly older woman asked if she could do anything for her. Brianna thanked her and assured her Aloth was on his way.

 

The T.V. in the corner of the room was tuned to a news channel covering the attack at the Capitol building. Brianna couldn’t bring herself to look at it for more than a few seconds at a time. Thankfully, the sound was off.

 

The elevator doors opened and Aloth stepped out. Brianna had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. Before he had even spotted her, she was out of her chair, hurtling towards him. Tears were flowing freely down her face and her hair, long since freed from its ponytail, flowed out behind her.

 

When Aloth saw her, some of the tension seemed to drain out of him. He moved quickly to meet her and they embraced. Brianna buried her face in the crook of his neck and began to sob openly, sorrow overwhelming her. Aloth brought a comforting hand to cradle the back of her head while the other made soothing circles between her shoulder blades. She clutched at the back of his shirt, desperately.

 

A thousand thoughts threatened to overwhelm her. She pulled back and tried to form a coherent sentence, but sobs continued to wrack her body. Aloth gently shushed her, leading her to the nearest bench and sat down with her.

 

Aloth wrapped his arms around her and Brianna leaned into him, crying into his chest. They stayed that way for a long time, Brianna’s tears dampening the white cloth of his shirt.

 

Finally, Brianna’s tears slowed and her breathing evened out.

 

“What if he doesn’t make it?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

 

Aloth pulled her closer to him.

 

“Edér is in a hospital. _You_ got him here,” he reminded her, “He stands a good chance at pulling through.”

 

Brianna took a moment to digest his words.

 

“Pallegina will be here any moment. We’ll have to tell her, about The Leaden Key. Maia and Xoti, they need to know, too,” Brianna said, closing her eyes and listening to Aloth’s heartbeat.

 

Aloth kissed the top of her head.

 

“We can worry about that when the time comes,” he replied, “Try not to think about it for the time being.”

 

Brianna nodded sleepily. Now that the adrenaline had left her, she found she was spent. Exhaustion gnawed at her and she quickly found herself in a restless sleep, dreaming of Thaos, dead senators, and Edér throwing her to the ground.


End file.
